


Night Thief

by ceresilupin



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, F/F, Gen, M/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-05
Updated: 2005-10-13
Packaged: 2017-10-22 07:43:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/235756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceresilupin/pseuds/ceresilupin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set about seven years after <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/~istoria">Istoria's</a> <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1949331/1/">Birds of a Feather</a>.  Sakura is finally on her own, and her first case is going to change her world -- assuming that it doesn't destroy it first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Longfic. About 100 pages. I'm too lazy to do a word count, but yeah. Slash and femslash are involved, so if you don't like either, then keep on walkin'. Much love to Istoria for letting me write this, and make sure that you read her fics first!

**Prolouge**

"She's over there. Sakura!" A bird arrowed through the sleepy cluster of Interrogators and landed on Sakura's desk, wings fluttering as it plowed into a stack of papers. "It's for you!"

Sakura called, "Thanks!" and untied the note without looking up. When she was finished, she flashed the bird a smile. "Thanks to you too, little guy."

It chirped, offended, and left. Sakura read the short letter (it took her a while, Naruto's handwriting was abysmal) and sighed. Rather than obey it's order to join him and Sasuke outside, she went back to work. She would be filing the last of her charges tomorrow and would be certain there were no mistakes.

When she finished, someone desposited a folder on her desk. "Three successful arrests in a single day," Ibiki said, deep voice approving as he sat. "It looks like I was wise to choose you after all."

"You didn't choose me," Sakura reminded him, mouth curled into a wry smile. Her short hair, unbound now that she wore her forehead protector over her forehead, fell into her eyes as she grabbed the folder. "Hokage-sama did, remember?"

He waved her comment away. "Details."

She grinned. It had been seven years since she became his student, and she'd spent the time developing his sense of humor, not to mention learning to detect traces of it in their conversations. And after years of working together, they'd finally established a comfortable rapport – only for him to end her apprenticeship and declare her an official member of the Interrogation Squad. She'd been on her own for three days so far, Ibiki hovering occaisionally in a worried fashion.

It was kind of cute. And scary. Ibiki tended to loom.

"So what's up, Ibiki-sen – Ibiki-san?"

"Your case will be closed by tomorrow?"

"I guess . . . ."

He gave her a look.

"Yes, sir." She made a face at him. "Unless something comes up. Why?"

"I'll have another one ready for you," he said, and stood slowly. His eye landed on Naruto's note and he sighed. "Get out of here, Sakura, before your annoying friend storms the place looking for you. Your desk will still be here in the morning."

She laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right. Good night, Ibiki-sen – Ibiki-san."

He nodded to her and went back to his office, dark coat billowing.

Sakura made good on her promise a few minutes later, her own coat flapping in a much less impressive manner. It was shorter, somewhat more stylish, and a clear sign that she was his student (even if she technically no longer was), a mark of both her respect and her affection. The village had learned not to insult Ibiki in her presance, although it had been rough going for a while.

The minute Naruto saw her, he let out a yell. "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura let the door swing shut as she stalked towards her teammates. "Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Are the two of you out here fighting again?"

"Of course not," Sasuke boredly, and feinted a lunge at Naruto's side. Naruto immediately vaulted into a nearby tree, much to the approval of some children gathered to watch them spar.

Sakura's hands flew to her hips. "You'd better not be teaching them bad things!" she called. "I know you, Naruto!"

"I'm not teaching them anything!" he yelled back, scowling. The kids giggled and he hooked his legs around his branch, dangling like a bat and grinning. "Hey, you wanna know how to do Sexy no jutsu?"

He was outlining the finer points of the technique, Sasuke looking on in scornful amusement, when Sakura finally reached them. She yanked on a lock of his hair and noticed that he needed a haircut. It was so long that, despite it's valiant efforts to the contrary, it mostly lied flat.

"Sakura-chan!" He gave an upside-down pout, arms crossed over the chest-plate of his ANBU armor. "You're so mean! Why can't you be some delicate little girl that's nice to me?"

"No way! I'll show you a delicate little girl!"

Sasuke caught her before she could attack. "Let's not," he said, and grabbed Naruto's ankle, yanking him unceremoniously to the ground. "Go away, brats," he said to the children. They scattered, covering their mouths and laughing. He glared.

"You're so scary, Sasuke," Naruto said. "Look, they're terrified."

Sasuke turned the glare on him.

"Boys, boys." Sakura ushered them briskly towards the street. "I guess it's too late to get something to eat, isn't it?"

"We already ate," Sasuke said, giving her a pointed look. "While waiting for you."

"Yeah, Sakura-chan, didn't you notice that you'd missed dinner?"

"No. Well, I heard some distant rumbling, I guess that was your stomach . . . ?" She grinned at him.

"Sakura-chan, so mean . . . . Wait, does that mean you're gonna get us more food?"

"Nah, I'll just get something at home."

"Darn. I'm hungry again already . . . . Hey you, you're starving me, you know that!" Naruto darted to Sasuke, poking him in the ribs and ducking his casual backhand. Sakura smiled. They used to make her stare, the way they made even bickering affectionate, but she had slowly grown used to it. To them. Now others stared, and Sakura ensured that they kept their remarks to themselves.

Naruto returned to his place between Sasuke and Sakura. "So, Sakura-chan, can you tell us about your mission yet? Or is it still a secret?"

Sakura chewed her lip doubtfully as the silence stretched. She wasn't allowed talk about a case until it was closed, but it was almost finished anyway, and it wasn't like they'd tell anyone. "I guess it's all right," she said slowly. "It's nothing that interesting, actually. A lot of criminals were turning up dead in and around Konoha, and I had to investigate why."

"Criminals?" Naruto asked, wrinkling his nose. "Hey, hey, why'd _you_ have to do it?"

"Someone had to, right?" She shrugged.

"What kind of criminals?" Sasuke asked, with a hint of professional interest. "What happened?"

Sakura shrugged again, struggling to hide her smile. Sasuke had been planning, off-and-on, to reinstate himself as head of the MP Corps for over a year, although getting him to admit it would be like pulling his teeth. He always got nosy about her cases, especially those that used to fall under MP jurisdiction.

"Drug traffickers," she said, answering Sasuke's question. Naruto looked confused again, so she elaborated. "They sell this stuff . . . it's got a lot of different names, but it's usually the same thing, more or less. It opens up the chakara gates while numbing the user to almost all pain – really dangerous, but the user gets a huge burst of strength, and that's all some people care about." She shrugged. "Some people decided the traffickers were charging too much and killed them for it. Of course, they swear they're innocent, but . . . ."

Sasuke snorted. "No honor amoung thieves," he muttered.

"Man, people selling stuff like that in Konoha . . . ." Naruto scowled. "What bastards. Hey, if you need any back-up –"

"I know, I know, call you." She tweaked his nose, smiling. "You sound like someone's grandma, Naruto!"

Naruto made his voice creaky and high-pitched. "Make sure to change your underwear, Sakura-chan!"

She swatted him upside the head. "Don't talk about my underwear like that! People might overhear!"

"Tch. Noisy." Sasuke gave them a look, and Sakura realized that they'd almost walked past his apartment. "I'm going. I've got business tomorrow." He turned away before they could ask – clearly something to do with the MP, then. Sakura grinned.

Sasuke started for the door. "You coming, dobe?"

"Hey, don't call me that anymore!" Naruto darted after him, waving back at Sakura. "See you tomorrow, Sakura-chan! Don't forget about dinner, all right?"

She stuck out her tongue until they passed from view.

It was too quiet without Naruto around. Tired, and a little lonely, Sakura continued her way home. She caught the scent of food cooking as she passed through the resteraunt district and had a brief but intense battle with her inner self: the benefits of good food versus healthy food. The inner self won.

She went in, stomach grumbling, and spotted Ino sitting at a table by herself. For a moment she considered leaving, but then the nervousness evaporated and she felt silly. She made her way across the room.

"Ino-chan, hey!"

Ino looked up and grinned wickedly, elbow propped on the table. Like Sakura, she'd kept her hair cropped, a short, sleek fall of blond. "Sakura-chan, are you following me?"

"Why would I do that, piggy? It would be too boring."

Ino waved her away, long nails glittering in the dim room. "Shoo or sit down, your giant forehead is blocking the light."

Sakura rolled her eyes and sat. "Are you here by yourself?"

"Yeah, Shikamaru and Chouji just left. Bet you're picking up something to take home, aren't you?"

"How'd you know?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "You work too much, Sakura-chan." She stood, grabbing two kunai from the table and slipping them back into their pouch. Ino, like all of them, had learned to keep up her guard. Especially while eating. "You need a boyfriend to distract you a little bit, you know?"

"I don't have time for a boyfriend . . . ."

"That's my point." Ino led the way to the counter and ordered as Sakura looked on in amusement. When she finished, Sakura elbowed her.

"So now you're ordering for me, Ino-chan? What's next, you're going to take me to the movies?"

Ino blushed and scowled at her. "Please, with the way you slurp your drinks? I'd rather go with Shikamaru and listen to him snore."

"What do you mean, you wouldn't be quiet long enough for him to fall asleep!"

By the time their order was ready, the two of them had launched into a detailed argument about who had the screechiest voice. It continued into the street, through a training field, and through the park, with Sakura walking backwards so she could insult Ino more easily. Eventually she gave up and found them a bench, a short distance away from some noisy genin, and pulled out her dinner. Ino snagged a strip of chicken and dropped it neatly into her mouth.

"I thought you already ate, pig-chan!"

"Pfft, unlike you, I don't have to watch my figure."

Sakura gestured threateningly with her chopsticks and Ino stole some broccoli.

An hour passed. When Sakura finally made it home, she was sore with sleepiness and her stomach ached from laughing too much. But a smile lingered on her face, even as she rotated her shoulders to work the out the pain.

She could barely believe that Sasuke was finally making plans about the MP. A year ago she'd worried that he would waste away, lying in bed and refusing food and water alike. She, Naruto, and Kakashi spent two months covering for him, until Naruto finally confessed to Tsunade that something was wrong. She sent the boys away and responded to all questions with a cold, _they're on a mission,_ until everyone learned to leave the topic alone.

Eventually she explained to Sakura that Sasuke was ill. _Mental diseases are harder to diagnose than physical ones,_ she'd said, voice and face grim, _but they can be deadly. I'm surprised he's held out so long. I don't know many that could have done the same, all things considered._

Her words had summoned the memory of Yasami Dokoro, and all too easily Sakura pictured Sasuke living within it's walls. She was terrified, but he returned and made a full, if shaky, recovery. It just took such a long time . . . .

 _Hey, you're being way too serious._ Sakura went to her balcony and watched the village wind down, families gathering as night approached. She could see ninja patrolling the walls and wondered if any were her friends.

 _Life is good,_ she reminded herself. _Sasuke is fufilling his dreams, Naruto has never been happier, and you have plans with Ino. What's there to be worried about?_

Her smile returned. Stretching, Sakura went to her room and prepared for sleep.

~

Tamaki Hyobanshi hurried towards the distant village, her nose bitingly cold despite the scarves wrapped around her face. It was almost morning, and she would kill for a warm room – or heck, just the warm, forget the room. It felt like she'd been walking forever.

But it would be worth it. Her connections in Isawa were stronger now than ever, thanks to some sharp business skills. She was looked forward to giving the girls her news. Although, she reflected wryly, the girls (her sisters-in-law, the Yamanka triplets) had probably dozed off already, waiting for her return. The thought brought a smile to her face.

The sound of footsteps brought a frown.

Tamaki's hand went to her back pocket as she looked up. She wasn't a shinobi, like her cousin-in-law Ino, but she'd spent a few years at the Academy. Her long-dead husband, his younger sister's guardian after their father died, had been the only ninja in their family.

Her fellow traveler stuck to the shadows, silkily graceful. Something about his stance, his hands loose at his sides, set alarm bells ringing. This was dangerous.

"What brings you out this late?" Tamaki called, voice friendly, eyes hard.

He slowly joined her in the moonlight, his face unreadable. Tamaki frowned as she struggled to place his face – the moment she did, her eyes widened and she began backing away.

"You." She gave a hollow laugh as he drew a kunai, staring in horrified facination. "Oh, god. I always knew you'd –"

The kunai flew from his hand, too quick to see, and struck her in the throat with a meaty _thunk!_ She fell to her knees, gagging, and he was gone, disappearing over the treetops.

She touched her throat and began to cry. The world went white around the edges, bleeding into red, all with painful slowness. She thought of the triplets. What about the triplets? Would they be okay? Without her – without her to take care of them – _god, please let them be okay_ –

Everything went black.

~

When Sakura found Tamaki in the morning, her hand was outstretched, fingers curled in the cold mud. Face grim, Sakura gently removed the kunai from Tamaki's throat and began her jutsu. Slivers of bloody ice fell to the ground.

It was with a sense of tremendous regret that, after conducting her preliminary investigation, Sakura had no choice but to arrest one Sasuke Uchiha for the crime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention this in the prologue, but:
> 
> \- Fic is AU for all intents and purposes. Pretend that after Birds of a Feather, the regular Naruto series picked up, and Sasuke left Konoha, only to return a few years later. Except that Sakura was Ibiki's student instead of Tsunade's.
> 
> \- I know that the anime filler involved Ibiki in some way or another, but I haven't seen it, so let's pretend it didn't happen, mmkay?
> 
> \- I GROVEL AT YOUR FEET in apology for the delay.

"Sakura –"

"Look, Naruto, there's nothing I can tell you. They won't even let me work on the case anymore."

"How could you –"

"I didn't have a choice!" Distressed, Sakura turned her back and wrapped her arms around her waist. "He's innocent, we both know that. It'll –"

Naruto drove his fist into her desk, denting it. " _Look_  at me," he ordered, and she did. His face was pale, jaw twitching. "There," he said, voice trembling. "That wasn't hard, was it?"

She sat carefully in her chair, eyes wide. Her office wasn't as cluttered as it had been – in her anxiety, she'd had managed to file every last folder, in such a thouroughly organized way that she disgusted even herself – and yet, the walls kept closing in, tighter and tighter. It was hard to breathe, and it was easy to let tears well up. The expression of betrayal on Sasuke's faces as she arrested him was burned into her memory. He hadn't said a word, but his eyes had been enough. And Naruto . . . .

"I'm just doing my job," she whispered. She wished she'd thought to say it at the time.

Naruto stared a moment, and decided the best response would be to bash his head against the wall. Sakura looked on, eyes watering.

"You – I –" He sighed. There hadn't been time for him to get dressed, and he was shivering in a thin t-shirt and pants, his forehead protector nowhere to be seen.

"I know you're just doing your job," he said finally. "That's what's so frustrating! I mean, come on, Sakura-chan, how could you –" His fists clenched, and Sakura winced, wondering if he was going to punch the desk again. "Shouldn't your friends mean more to you than your job?"

Sakura said nothing for a moment, and then grew angry. "And what if it was you, Naruto?" she demanded. "What if you had evidence that I'd –"

"Then I'd go to you!" he shouted, jumping to his feet and pointing at her with two accusing fingers. "I'd go to you and I'd tell you what I'd found and we'd figure out what happened!"

"And lie to everyone?" she shrilled. "To Godaime-sama, to whoever was working with you – you'd have to frame someone else, you know, and lie to them too, and their family – and – and you'd never become Hokage like that!"

His glare grew even more intense. "Oh, and I'd become Hokage by  _betraying my friends?_ "

She opened and closed her mouth uselessly, searching for words and finding none. "Fine," she finally said, "fine, if that's what you think – then you think that, but I know that Sasuke is innocent and I'm not – I'm not worried –" She swiped the back of her wrist over her eyes as Naruto paced.

"Is that why you think it is?" he asked, voice loud and breaking. "That I think Sasuke is  _guilty?_ "

"I don't know what you think!" she cried. "I don't know why you're angry at me! I thought you'd understand!"

He stopped and looked at her, her watery eyes and trembling lips, and sighed again. The anger left him quckly as he sat, muttering, "It's all right. It's okay, really, c'mon Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to yell at you."

She sniffed hard, staring at him. "I'm sorry," she said pathetically.

When Naruto looked up, it was with a smile. "It's all right," he said again. "Hey, you did the right thing, you know? Sasuke-bastard will be out in no time." He took a deep breath. "I'm sure he knows that. He'll be out in no time."

~

"So, you woke up because you heard something . . . ."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Goddammit, I've told you this," he snapped. "I heard a noise, it sounded like a window being shut, so I checked the windows. They were all closed, I went back to bed."

Ibiki towered over him, unimpressed. "What time was this?"

"Fuck," Sasuke snarled. He wanted out of here --  _needed_  out of here, he was slowly going mad. "How the hell should I know? Midnight, maybe?"

"You said it was about one, before," Ibiki pointed out, voice deep and unshakable.

"I don't know! I didn't look at the clock!"

"Hm." Ibiki paced a few steps, unnerving dark eyes focused intently on Sasuke's face. "And your roommate, Naruto?"

Sasuke flushed and met Ibiki's cold gaze. He could feel his entire body trembling, and fought to keep the weakness down. He'd faced Orochimaru, an angry Naruto, a betrayed village, so why in the hell was Ibiki intimidating him? "Naruto was sleeping," he said angrily. "Snoring. Loudly."

"You're sure."

"I. Am. Sure," Sasuke said, enunciating the words as carefully as he could. His heart pounded, the world tilted at the edges. Was Ibiki going to accuse Naruto – he wouldn't, would he? Naruto was ANBU – everyone liked him – especially Sakura, Ibiki trusted Sakura, didn't he? He trusted someone, right? Sasuke didn't know what to do, he didn't know, but – Naruto. He had to make sure Ibiki didn't blame Naruto.

Ibiki sat and watched clinically as Sasuke's chest heaved. A panic attack, probably. Three years ago, when Sasuke returned to Konoha, Ibiki questioned him about his service to Orochimaru and whether it was on-going. The boy had broken down then, too, grabbing his hair and shaking so badly his teeth chattered and he gagged. Kakashi had thrown Ibiki from the cell, only to follow him out and grant Sasuke a moment's peace. The two men hadn't exchanged a civil word since.

But what caused the attacks? Was it guilt, or something else?

Ibiki was tempted to just throw Sasuke into Yasumi Dokoro. He may not have killed Tamaki, but he clearly had issues. The sanatorium wouldn't help much but it would keep him out of trouble. On the other hand, Ibiki would have to deal with Sakura and Naruto if he tried, and probably Kakashi as well. That was more of a battle than he wanted.

Besides, Sakura used to be his student. She had been . . . well. It wasn't like Ibiki had any other family, was it?

"You know," he said, conversationally, "it's possible that it was Naruto who killed Tamaki. He might have used your kunai so it would have your chakara signature. And his feet are about the same size, too, so maybe he wore your sandals."

Sasuke leaned forward slowly, carefully, thin shoulders shifting beneath one of Naruto's ridiculous shirts. "Naruto," he said slowly, "would throw himself off a bridge before he murdered an innocent woman. "

"People can change," Ibiki said passively. He grinned widely. "And there is the matter of Naruto's little guest."

"Fuck you," Sasuke snarled, drawing his mouth into a grimace and spitting the words, "fuck you straight to hell."

He leaned back, panting, color high in his cheeks. Ibiki regarded him with amusement. He was like a stray cat brought in and expected to perform, only to hunker and growl until it was thrown back into the cold. He pictured Sasuke baring his teeth in a hiss and laughed aloud.

Sasuke looked away, jaw shifting.

"If that's your story," Ibiki said, deep laugh fading slowly, "then I guess we have to accept it, don't we?" Sasuke stared at him dully as he stood. "Don't get too comfortable," Ibiki intoned. "Someone else we be in to question you shortly."

Sasuke  _did_  hiss as the door slammed shut.  _Fucking Ibiki._  "Fucking Ibiki," he muttered aloud, just to hear his own voice.

It took him a moment to regain his composure. He hated it in this small place, this cell, he hated the way everyone looked at him like – like he was another Itachi, frankly. God, he hated it.

 _We always knew you'd turn out like him. Always knew._

He tried to calm himself, but his heart just wouldn't stop pounding. And once again, he wondered where Naruto was.

~

"I want to talk to Sasuke!"

Ibiki looked down at Naruto for a long moment. "I'm sure Sakura has told you about our policy," he said. "No visitors until we say so."

"You can't do that!" Naruto yelled. "It's, it's, it's – unethical!"

Ibiki crossed his arms and said nothing.

"Fine!" Naruto turned and started towards the door. Halfway there, he about-faced and came back. "No," he snapped. "I'm not giving up. I'll stand here and yell until you let me see him – and if that doesn't work, I'll – I'll think of something, you jerk!"

Someone muttered something and hurried off, apparently deciding that Headquarters wasn't a good place to be.

"Very well," Ibiki said, amused. "Yell all you like. Do you have something to tell me?"

Naruto opened his mouth to start, but stopped suddenly, eyes narrowing. "Whaddya mean, do I have something to tell you?"

"About Tamaki's death, of course." Ibiki smiled serenely, eyes crinkling merrily. He could almost hear Naruto starting to simmer. He loved his job. "Did you hear Sasuke leave? Did you hear him come back in?"

"I was asleep all night," Naruto said tensely. "And I wouldn't have heard anything even if I'd been awake because Sasuke didn't do it, you stupid scarred asshole bastard, so let me talk to him NOW!"

Naruto's volume was impressive, Ibiki would give him that. All of the other Interrogators and attendents had fled, either to protect their eardrums or to escape the kyuubi's wrath. All but one, that was, a pink-haired kuniochi that stood in the doorway, watching the confrontation with a pained frown. Ibiki didn't mean her eyes, but he did notice her.

He sighed heavily. "Damn," he muttered. "Fine. You can see him. Tell his guard I've given you permission."

"I don't care what you try to – wait, what?" Naruto stared at him, comprehension slowly dawning. "You just said, you just said, you, ah . . . um."

They stared at each other.

Naruto darted past him, running for the Interrogation chambers like he thought Ibiki would try to stop him. Half-smiling, Sakura left her post by the door.

Ibiki pretended not to watch her approach and busied himself with some papers that rested on his assistant's desk. Sakura looked worried, pale and a little shaky, but he knew her better than that.

"Thank you," she said.

He waved it off. "You're still off the case," he reminded her. "You've got something else to work on."

She sighed. "I know." She held up a sheaf of stapled papers. "I'll need to conduct some interviews – that's what I came down here for."

Ibiki gestured for her to find the forms she needed. There was a moment of tense silence as she pawed through a file cabinet, and then she asked, "Can you tell me something?"

"If it's not about Sasuke."

She asked anyway. "How long can you hold him? Really?"

"As long as we need to." Sakura stepped around him, eyed him intently as he continued. "The evidence is overwhelming. Unless we come up with another suspect . . . but that's not an invitation." He returned her glare evenly. "You've got another case to work on."

"Yeah." She handed him some papers. "But you should know it by now, that I'm not someone who abandons her friends. I'll get back to you, okay?"

Ibiki scowled. She waved and left, smiling brightly.

~

There was an ANBU member guarding Sasuke's cell. He tensed at the sight of Naruto and pulled off his mask, the dog at his side whining pathetically.

"Yo, Naruto," Kiba said. He looked around desperately for Ibiki. "Figured you'd find a way to get down here, ha." A nervous pause. "You know, you really shouldn't fight me. I'm a pretty strong guy –"

"I'm allowed in," Naruto said, interrupting Kiba's desperate attempt to avoid a battle. He rubbed at the tattoo on his shoulder, as if the sight of Kiba's reminded him that it was there. "Ibiki said so. Let me talk to him, Kiba? Please please please please please please ple –"

"Man, you're annoying."

"Hey!"

Kiba and Akamaru exchanged looks. They apparently came to a conclusion – Akamaru padded off, retrieving a key from a nearby table and dropping it into Naruto's waiting hand.

"Thanks, boy," Naruto said, grinning fiercely and wiping dog spit off the cold silver key. Kiba stepped aside as he fumbled with the lock.

Sasuke was sitting at a metal table, his head held in his hands. He looked up at the sound of someone entering. "Naruto!"

The door slammed shut behind him. Naruto leaped forward, grabbed Sasuke's face with both hands and kissed him  _hard_. Sasuke tangled his hands in Naruto's shirt, pressed them against his skin, squeezed his eyes shut. Relief, relief like few things he'd ever felt before, hit him and he leaned into Naruto gratefully, shuddered as Naruto whispered something against his mouth. In a minute, he'd have to drudge the mask back up, but now – but now –

Slowly, they broke apart. Sasuke sank into his seat as Naruto leaned on the table. Their hands stayed linked. "Are you all right?" Naruto asked. "Sakura-chan said you'd be okay, but Ibiki's a bastard and I hate him and I want to kill him but she probably won't let me, and are you all right? Really all right? You look like shit."

Snickering, Sasuke rested his forehead on the cold table. Naruto touched his hair carefully. "I'm fine," Sasuke said, still smirking, and he straightened. Naruto's fingers brushed his cheek. "I'm just tired."

"Me, too."

It was probably the only moment they'd have together for some time, and Sasuke couldn't sense anyone other that Kiba and Akamaru nearby. He tugged Naruto forward, lowered his voice and murmured, "The fainting spells?"

There was a tense pause, and then Naruto shook his head hard, hair flying. "None," he said. "At all. I feel great. Or, well, I would, but, you know, you got all arrested and all, idiot. You know."

"Tch. I know, moron."

"Bastard."

Naruto's turn to snicker. Sasuke watched him worriedly. The fainting spells were known only to them, random times when he would collapse without warning. It was clear that Naruto's chakara was being rapidly depleted, hence the fainting, but despite their best efforts they couldn't figure out why. Eventually they decided that it was the  _kyuubi_ , doing what it could to escape, and they kept it to themselves.

Sasuke suddenly sensed Ibiki's presence and drew back, jaw clenching. Naruto hopped off the table and turned towards the door.

It was slammed open. Naruto glimpsed Kiba shaking his head as Ibiki stormed in.

"Your visiting time is up," he said to Naruto. "Now, go home."

Sasuke actually expected Naruto to obey for once, which was clearly an error in judgement. He just grinned. "No," he said.

Everyone stared, even Kiba and Akamaru.

Ibiki, however, returned the smile. "Sorry, kid, didn't quite catch that. Again?"

"I'm not leaving," Naruto said stubbornly. He took a deep breath, plainly preparing to yell, and Sasuke glimpsed Kiba and Akamaru backing quickly away. "I'm not leaving until you let Sasuke go. He's innocent! Do you understand that, you dumbass? " Nothing. "I out-rank you, you know. I could order you."

There was a brief pause as Ibiki gathered the remaining shreds of his paitence. "No, you can't. ANBU can't interfere with Interrogator business – "

"I can if I petition it to Hokage-sama when she gets back. Let him go! He didn't do it, stupid. Don't you see you're letting the real killer go?"

Ibiki was silent for a moment. When he spoke, he was calm. "You know, kid, I actually remember you."

Naruto glared scornfully.

"From the chuunin exam. I could drag you outta here, but you'd yell something when were being hauled out and Sasuke would be impossible to talk to for hours. You've gotta way of encouraging people, despite your bad attitude and shit for brains."

Naruto practically frothed at the mouth. Sasuke watched the unfolding conversation with a sense of dread – 'Sasuke would be impossible to talk to', he knew, actually meant 'Sasuke would be impossible to manipulate, just like the kids at the exam'.

"So," Ibiki said to Naruto, seriously, "believe it or not, no one's going to blame Sasuke for a crime he didn't commit."

"That's not what it looks like," Naruto said, scowling. "And don't try to be nice to me. I don't like you, you ugly bastard."

Ibiki ignored this. "Do you know, Tamaki Hyobanshi was Ino Yamanaka's cousin? She had three sisters-in-law. Triplets. Twelve-year-olds." Naruto grew still. "They thought of her as a mother after their brother, their guardian, was killed fighting Orochimaru three years ago."

Sasuke stared worriedly at the back of Naruto's head. If Ibiki convinced Naruto that Sasuke was – that he had to be left here – no. Ibiki wouldn't. He couldn't, could he? Naruto wasn't that stupid.

"What if that was you, or someone you knew?" Ibiki continued persuasively. "We have to investigate this crime. If that means that Sasuke is questioned, then that means Sasuke is questioned."

Naruto stared briefly at the ground as Sasuke looked on fearfully. He didn't think he could handle much more interrogation without breaking down again – already he could feel the frustration welling up, the futile apologies for all the mistakes he'd made. And there were plenty of them, from Itachi to Orochimaru to almost killing Naruto and . . . hell.

Naruto looked up. "Fine," he snapped. Sasuke's heart sank. "You already questioned him, right? You've had him here for hours! So that should be enough, if you're telling the truth."

Sasuke relaxed. Slightly.

Ibiki was suspicious. "How can you be so certain that Sasuke didn't kill Tamaki?" he asked.

Sasuke stopped relaxing.

Naruto, naturally, didn't see the question for what it was. "I just know!" he said, earnest and angry all at once. "That's not something that Sasuke would do. I mean, I know him better than anyone, and way better than you!"

Ibiki still looked wary. Kiba was still at his post by the door but Akamaru was pacing, whining deep in his throat. Sasuke watched the dog go back and forth, brow furrowed. He had to make a choice, and now.

"That's not for you to decide, kid," Ibiki finally said. "Get outta here."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but Sasuke interrupted. "Stop it, Naruto."

Astonished, Naruto turned to him. His hair fell into his eyes as he blinked twice, tangled with his lashes. Sasuke could read the hurt in his face, and the worry.

"It'll be fine," Sasuke said, acutely concious of Ibiki's eyes on him. He knew that it looked like he was trying to protect Naruto but he couldn't help that – he was trying to protect Naruto, from damning himself more than anything else. "Go help Sakura with whatever she's doing."

Naruto hesitated, frowning, but he trusted Sasuke. With a final glare at Ibiki, he stomped off. Akamaru sighed and sank to the floor, his head resting on his paws.

The door shut. Sasuke worked on catching his breath -- he was worried, but more than that, he felt as if he'd just escaped deadly peril.  _Just stay away for now, Naruto. Don't get in trouble on my behalf._

"Lots of interesting developments," Ibiki said conversationally, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Sasuke felt his stomach tighten. "So. Let's go over your story one more time."

~

Sakura filed away the last of her paperwork and stretched. She had completed her investigation in record time, and had decided that the drug lords had been murdered by their peers.  _No honor amoung thieves is right, Sasuke._  The evidence was overwhelming, and the trials would be proceeding soon. Her job was done.

With everything packed away, she locked up her office and started out. Headquarters was still bustling, and many people were shocked to see her leaving at noon instead of midnight. She ignored their questions and the occasional glare.

It took her a good twenty minutes to reach Ino's. Sakura rapped on the door and bit her lip, struggling to plan what she would say.

There was a moment of silence, and then the door cracked slightly open. Ino blinked at Sakura with tear-reddened eyes. "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura took a quick, deep breath. "Ino-chan. Hi." She winced at the lame greeting.

"Um . . . hi." Ino leaned against the door. "Are you – are you here as my friend or as . . . as Interrogator?"

Sakura winced again. "Both?" she tried. "Your friend," she decided, "that's what I always am, despite . . . you know. Are. Are you okay?"

Ino blinked hard. "Um. Mostly?"

They stared at each other a moment longer, both of them looking quite stilly. Ino finally stepped out and wrapped Sakura in a hug, pressing her face against her shoulder. Sakura held her tightly as long as she could – Ino was the one to step away, head bowed in a rare display of shyness.

"Come in," she offered, holding open the door. Sakura obeyed and toed off her shoes carefully, allowed Ino to lead her deeper into the apartment. "I know that you've probably got questions . . . we'll try to help you." She turned to the small group gathered in her living room. "Right?"

A silent chorus of nods. Sakura blushed, overwhelmed, and noticed Shikamaru amidst the crowd. He saved her.

"None of us think that it was Sasuke," he said and stood. Ino took his seat next to a small, dark-haired girl, who immediately burrowed against her. Two other girls, lighter-haired than the first but otherwise identical, sat on the floor at their feet.

Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, was at Inoshi's side, agreeing silently with his son. Choumaru was there, too, and Chouji, looking nervous in the corner. Briefly, Sakura wondered what it would be like to be part of such an extended family – two generations of teamwork and friendship, familiar names and familiar strengths.

"Maybe we should have this conversation outside," Sakura suggested, looking quickly at Shikamaru. He nodded to Chouji, who went to Ino, and he and Sakura went into the hall.

Once they were away from the grieving family, Shikamaru ran his hands over his scalp and linked them behind his head, stretching. Sakura fiddled with her coat nervously.

Shikamaru leaned against the wall. "What do you need to know?" he asked slowly. His eyes were ringed with shadows.

Sakura had a few theories about what happened when Tamaki died. The first was the one she didn't believe – that Sasuke had murdered her. It went against everything she knew of him, and even Ibiki had admitted that Sasuke's behavior wasn't guilty.

Her second theory was just as unlikely: what if Sasuke's body had been controlled? If that was the case then the reasonable suspects would be the Nara and Yamanaka clans, given their abilities, and maybe even Kakashi, with his sharingan.

But even the most advanced forms of kagemane and shintenshin couldn't control a victim completely, and Kakashi's sharingan wasn't advanced enough. Someone like Sasuke would have had the skill to break free, and he certainly would have retained his memories of what occured.

The third was another that she disliked, although she had to admit that it was possible. What if Sasuke was simply insane?

Sakura knew from experiance that the genetics behind advanced bloodlines weren't perfect. Sometimes there were unforseen affects. The sharingan could carry with it a price – what if Itachi's insanity was genetic? It didn't seem likely, but if it was true then it was better that she investigated. That way, Sasuke could get help. (And  _not_  at Yasumi Dokoro. Just the memory of that place gave her chills.)

The fourth theory was perhaps the most obvious, and Sakura's best bet: what if Sasuke had been framed? Someone could have stolen his weapons and shoes as to leave a clear evidence trail towards Sasuke. Of course, that meant that she needed to find the real murderer.

 _And so, we begin at the beginning._  It was something Ibiki used to say.

"Would anyone have any reason to go after Tamaki?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru sighed, apparently having anticipated the question. "Not really," he said. "She was kind, cared about the triplets, got along with everyone . . . some of our genin team's missions were escorting her and the girls on errands to other villages. After we were all promoted, Ino would go with them every now and then. Last night she left for an emergency meeting so she didn't take anyone with her."

Sakura nodded slowly, filing away the information. Her memory – always very good – had been sharpened almost unbearably under Ibiki's training. Sometimes the small, obscure things would bubble up and she'd give herself a headache, trying to puzzle out the connections that her subconcious made.

"Any business rivals?"

Shikamaru frowned thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling. Sakura let him think.

"There might have been," he said at last. "Tamaki inherited her mother's shipping company when she died – it's small, but she's been bringing in a lot of stuff lately, trying to get money for the triplets. It's usually little things, foodstuffs, specialty items, toys, which she sells to the shops in Konoha and they sell to the villagers." Shikamaru shrugged. "She's got fair prices, and everyone knows the triplets. You know how it is."

Sakura nodded. Konoha was a fair-sized village, smaller than some and larger than most. Within it were social circles – the shop families, the ninja families, or the high clans – where everyone knew everyone else, like family. It felt unlikely that the murderer had been such a person.

"What about out-of-village connections?"

"I don't know much about that," Shikamaru admitted. He had to drag his eyes away from the door to continue answering her questions. "You could check her records. Or ask around the village and find out where the goods were coming from."

 _The goods were coming from._  Sakura was vividly reminded of her earlier conversations with various shady characters and shook herself. The two were unconnected.  _Stay focused, Sakura. Sasuke is depending on you._

"I think I will," she said. "Who's permission do I need to access them? And," she added, before Shikamaru could answer, "I'm not on official business, really."

Shikamaru's response was grim, not surprised. "They booted you off the case?"

"Because I'm friends with Sasuke. I guess it's sensible."

He scoffed. "Whatever you say," he said, turning for the door. "C'mon."

Meekly, she followed him back in. Their arrival interrupted Inoshi, who was saying something to the group. Everyone turned to Sakura quickly, expressions hopeful. She swallowed hard. Somehow, she had never grown accustomed to this part of the routine.

"She needs to see some of Tamaki-san's files," Shikamaru said. Sakura blinked at him; it was the most polite honorific she'd ever heard him use. "And she's not on official business, not that I think anyone cares."

Choumaru made a loud noise of disgust. Shikaku shook his head and asked her, "Because of Sasuke?"

She nodded slowly, surprised. "Ibiki-sensei decided I was too close to it to investigate properly. This is on my own time."

Inoshi looked to Ino, who distangled herself from the triplets and went to Sakura's side. "You've got any of the files you need," she said, and forced a smile. "Hey, those other guys? We don't really trust them that much. You're the one we believe in."

"We haven't forgotten what you did for Ino," Ino's mother said suddenly. Ino nodded and Sakura smiled at her.

"I'll figure it out," she promised. She felt momentarily like Naruto and wondered how he did it, if the pressure ever crushed him. "I won't let you down."

~

Chouji helped Sakura pull out the last box of dusty papers and left with a wave, still holdng the dango she'd bought him in thanks. There was uneaten breakfast on the kitchen table, three plates of slightly burnt eggs that were beginning to smell. Sakura wondered if the triplets were just sitting down to eat when the message came and decided not to think about it.

The papers were organized, if somewhat sloppy. Sakura scanned them quickly, seperating the ones she needed from those she didn't. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just a rough timeframe of Tamaki's last days. She could move on from there.

A few hours later she finished and went home, carting the papers with her. She was so involved in her work that a knock at her door startled her. She hurried over, glancing at the clock as she passed it. Already after eleven? She'd forgotten to eat . . . .

Sakura pulled the door open, only to quickly stop. "Sasuke?"

He stared at her, expression blank. "Sakura --"

She jumped forward, wrapped him in a tight hug despite his objections. "I'm glad they let you go! I was so worried about you. Ibiki finally realized you weren't guilty?" She stepped back, still gripping his shoulders, and her face fell. Sasuke was glaring at her.

She drew swiftly away. "Sasuke . . . ."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded loudly. Sakura bit her lip hard. It took her a moment to master her emotions.

"Look, I'm sorry that I had to arrest you, but I didn't have a choice --"

He looked quickly away, mouth tugged into an ugly smirk, only to turn another nasty glare on her. He was positively vibrating with frustration and impaitence, far angrier than she'd ever seen him before. "Not that," he snarled, "I don't give a fuck about that –"

"Then what? I –"

"Naruto!" he exploded. "Why in the hell did you blame Naruto? I know you had a stupid crush on me but you're not that fucking idiotic!"

She could only stare in humiliated silence, sleepy brain stumbling over this new information. "I didn't – I don't – what are you talking about? Naruto . . . ?"

The fight went out of him and he slumped, caught himself against the doorframe. "They think he murdered Tamaki and framed me for it," he said dully, and stared at the ground. "They arrested him just as they let me go . . . they're questioning him now."


	3. Chapter 3

"Godaime-sama?"

Tsunade fixed her protege and closest friend with a scowl. Shizune looked up and swallowed. "I mean – Tsunade-sama?"

"Better," Tsunade grumbled. "Although you need to drop the '-sama'. It makes me feel old, and you know I hate that." She brandished a scroll for emphasis.

Shizune didn't smile, still reading the letter Tsunade had just received. "Tsunade-sama, it's about Naruto."

"Really?" Tsunade held out her hand, worried but not too much. "What did he do this time? It's always something."

Deeply reluctant, Shizune handed the letter over and waited. Tsunade grew very still, eyes narrowing sharply, as she read, and was silent for a moment.  _Absorbing the news,_ Shizune thought desperately,  _or just thinking, but surely not losing her temper. . . ._

The letter was suddenly thrown into a nearby trashbin. "Damn brat," Tsunade muttered. She leaned back in her chair. "Always causing a ruckus."

Shizune nearly collapsed with relief.

Someone entered the room, probably for the meeting that was scheduled to happen soon. He took one look at Tsunade and started to back away, eyes gone wide, only to collide with someone attempting to enter the room behind him.

Tsunade looked at the siblings and cocked an eyebrow. "Hello," she said peacefully. "Why are you on the floor, Kankuro?"

Kankuro, the unwitting instigator of the crash, picked himself up quickly. "Because I was getting the hell out of here before you went psycho," he muttered, dusting off his clothes. Temari made a derisive noise and stepped around him, followed shortly by Gaara.

Tsunade smiled sweetly. "What was that, Kankuro?"

"Stupid old crone," he muttered blackly, and sat next to Temari. "Nothing," he said more normally.

"Right," she said, and let it slide. A few other ministers from the Sand joined them with wary glances at Gaara. Things were strangely tense between Gaara and the village, despite his status, and Kankuro and Temari acted more like his bodyguards than his teammates. It wasn't pretty. 

"This is going to be the last meeting for a while," Tsunade said, startling everyone and grabbing their attention. "So we'd better reach a conclusion over our alliance, or there won't be one. I'm needed in my village."

"Then send an ambassador," someone suggested.

"No," Gaara said. Everyone stared at him as he turned his cold gaze on Tsunade. "We either make a deal with the Hokage, or we don't make one at all. Why do you have to leave?"

Tsunade watched him closely, but his expression betrayed nothing. She couldn't help but be mystified by him, as most people were – those dark, hidden emotions, that sleepless, starkly divided mind, all of them parts of an inscrutable whole. At times, even Temari and Kankuro looked at him with curiousity in their eyes.

Gaara had been Kazekage for a few months, and was a more than adequate choice, even when it came to long-standing peace negotiations. He protected the village's interests, knew how and when to compromise, and always got what he asked for. Most experienced councilmen weren't as good (Tsunade privately thought this was because they weren't as scary).

But he was still such a mystery, even now, when the look in his eye might be suffering. Tsunade was a doctor – it was her job to fix the hurts she saw. She had never met anyone so remote, hidden so deeply inside themselves, that she couldn't reach the pain to heal it.

"Someone in my village is being charged with a crime they didn't commit," she finally admitted.

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Naruto?"

Temari sat her fan down very carefully. She and Kankuro exchanged glances, one puzzled, the other bored, and they returned their attention to Tsunade in unison. Under the intense scrutiny of all three siblings, Tsunade was taken back a bit. "Yes," she said.

Gaara looked away, a clear end to the discussion.

A pause. "Well," Tsunade said, and turned to the Sand ministers with a wide smile that fooled no one. "Let's get started, shall we?"

And so the talks began.

Once the meeting was over, Temari grabbed Shizune's elbow and yanked her down a short hallway. Shizune jerked herself free indignantly, straightening her sleeve and glaring. "What are you doing?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Delivering a message," she hissed. "Bring your Hokage to my house before you leave tomorrow morning – and trust me, it's important."

"What's important about it?" Shizune demanded, wary of a trap.

"Hasn't your mistress taught you not to ask stupid questions?" Temari asked, smiling tightly. Shizune glared at her. "Whatever. It's about Naruto, if you need some motivation."

Shizune scowled, her hand going to the kunai in their pouch. "What do you know about Naruto?" she asked, voice slow with suspicion.

"Probably more than you," Temari said snidely. She had no paitence for paranoia. "He's not so different from Gaara, you know." When Shizune remained unconvinced, she huffed and turned to go. "Just be there, Leaf. I don't have time to argue with you."

She was gone before Shizune could retort, which was probably just as well. Tsunade passed the girl on her way down the hall and glanced at her curiously, thoughtfully, and received a civil nod.

Tsunade spotted Shizune, still standing to the side with a scowl, and frowned. "What's going on?"

~

Ibiki was surrounded by a small cluster of ANBU when Sakura threw open the door to his office, pale and absolutely blazing with rage. "Keep an eye on him," Ibiki ordered the ANBU, ignoring Sakura. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to finish.

"Ibiki-san, Naruto-kun is one of us," a small, polite voice said. Sakura recognized Hinata immediately. Ibiki was making Naruto's own  _squad_  guard him? Oh, he was going to get it. "We won't fight him."

"Then convince him not to fight," Ibiki said. There was a moment of silence, and Sakura thought for one wild moment that the ANBU would refuse. But in the end, they all bowed and left. Kiba, finally relieved of guard duty, spoke quietly with Akamaru and patted his head, offering him water. They were both exceptionally tense, and Sakura pitied them.

She didn't pity Ibiki. Fists clenched in rage, she stalked over and blocked the exit, frowning impaitently until he finally looked at her. "What in the  _hell_  is going on?" she whisper-shrieked. "Naruto has been arrested! What do you think you're doing?"

"You're still not on this case, Sakura," Ibiki reminded her coolly. "Go home. You'll have a new mission tomorrow."

He brushed past her without another word. Sakura stared after him, betrayed, and went in the opposite direction.

It took half an hour, but eventually she spotted the ANBU clustered around a single door. She picked out Hinata immediately – even with her face hidden, she was immediately recognizable, maybe because she was the only ANBU that twiddled her fingers. The rest of squad was made of strangers, or so they seemed, mysterious in their masks and silence.

They all shifted as she approached. Sakura came stiffly to a halt, her fists clenching at her sides. "Let me talk to him," she ordered.

There was pause. Hinata stepped forward. "Are you here on official business, Sakura-san?"

Sakura hesitated, considered a lie, but shook her head instead. Hinata sighed.

"Let her in," someone said.

Sakura turned quickly.  _Shikamaru?_  He was wearing a mask and robes, and his hair was loose beneath his hood, but it was definitely him. Had he always been ANBU? Or had he been promoted to make up for Naruto's absence?

A small ripple ran over the group, a quick silent discussion. Sakura waited, sighed in relief as Hinata opened the door. "Sakura-san," she said politely, and bowed, indicating for Sakura to go in.

Naruto was pacing nervously. His eyes lit up when he saw her. "Sakura-chan!"

She wanted to run and hug him, but she didn't know if he was angry, too. She settled for standing nearby and grinning hard. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, of course! Ha, it's me we're talking about." He plopped into his seat, unable to halt the nervous drum of his hands on the tabletop. "Where's Sasuke?"

She sighed and sat, cradling her head in her hands. "He's at my apartment," she said. "He ate something and then he fell asleep." She forced herself to meet Naruto's eyes. "Naruto, you have to know – I mean, I didn't tell Ibiki-sensei to arrest you, Naruto. I didn't even give him a hint that he should –"

"I know." Naruto smiled at her. "Did you think I was gonna be mad? Stupid old man, he doesn't know what he's doing! Of course you didn't tell him to arrest me. You're way too smart for that."

Naruto certainly seemed confident, despite his nervousness. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and tried to make her sluggish brain work, but she was just too tired. With a groan, she dropped her head to the table.

Naruto continued. "You're sure Sasuke's all right? He looked like shit when they drug him out of here, but they hauled me off before I could talk to him . . . ."

Sakura's fists clenched again. This had gone on far enough – her friends, her  _innocent_  friends, were being mistreated. She was going to do something.

"He's pretty mad at me," she admitted, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "But he calmed down once I explained that I didn't know what was going on. I think he's just tired."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto nodded sagely, fidgeting anxiously. "He's like that, all nasty and stuff, but he doesn't mean it, you know? Um."

She smiled. "I know. Look, Naruto, I'm really going to try and get you out of here, but I don't know how long it'll take. Until then . . . ." She gripped both of his hands in hers to make sure he was paying attention. "Be careful of what you say, and  _don't_  lose your temper. Try not to make yourself look guilty."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest. She interrupted. "I know, I know, you don't have a manipulative bone in your body, you're innocent and you don't have to lie, but. Just be careful, okay? Please?"

He sighed and slumped a little. "Yeah," he said tiredly. "I'm really not liking it in here, Sakura-chan."

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her eyes from filling. "I know," she said, and ruffled his hair. He leaned into the warmth of her hand and she forced a smile. "I'm gonna get you out of this mess, trust me."

The door opened behind her, forestalling any further conversation. "Sakura-san," Hinata's quiet voice said urgently. "One of the Interrogators is on his way. Shikamaru-san is stalling him, but . . . ."

Sakura hurried to her feet. Naruto winked as she was ushered out, keeping up his brave face, but as the door swung shut she saw it fade, replaced with worry. He was still wearing his pajamas.

Sakura left before she could get caught, and returned to her investigation.

~

"Ino's sleeping," Chouji told his father, sitting across from him at the Yamanaka's kitchen table. They had prepared a small meal for dinner – 'small' being a relative term, as used by the Akimichi's – and were currently packing up the leftovers. Inoshi and his wife were with his nieces, helping them gather up bedding so that they could sleep over. The Yamanaka residence was rather crowded.

"Been a long day," Choumaru said sympathetically.

Chouji nodded. Shikamaru was with his ANBU team, having been called out of his hidden state to help keep an eye on Naruto. None of them were happy that Naruto had been arrested, particularly with the thought that he might break out. Chouji liked Naruto, but the guy's power levels were scarily dangerous. Or dangerously scary. Or something.

"We should probably stay and keep an eye on things," Chouji started, looking hopefully at the food, when he heard a faint sound. Choumaru heard it too, and frowned.

Chouji went quickly to investigate. There was a moment of silence, and then he tore down the stairs, face gone pale.

"It's Ino," he said urgently. "Dad, she's gone."

~

Someone pounded on the door. "Sakura? Sakura, are you in there?"

Sasuke jerked awake, his hand coming up to swipe at his eyes as Sakura ran to answer the door. He got to his feet just as it was opened, shrugging off the blanket that Sakura must have put over him.

"Chouji? What's going on?"

"Ino's missing," Chouji said desperately. "She's not in her room, I don't know where she is. Sakura, do you think someone could be coming after the Yamanakas?"

Sakura blinked. Sasuke came up behind her. "Why would anyone do that?" he asked. He was relieved to hear that his voice was calm again, if slightly flatter than normal.

Sakura glanced at him edgily and Sasuke tried to remember what he'd said to her. He'd been let go, and had almost been elated,  _almost_ , only to see Naruto being arrested in his place – and then his stomach had dropped out and he'd made some bloody threat or promise, he couldn't remember which. Everything was a blur. Ibiki had only smirked and advised him not to leave the village, adding that he'd already been a missing-nin once and no one wanted to repeat the experience.

And Sasuke had run away, mid-word and without looking back. He didn't even remember going to Sakura's, except that he must have, and he must have said something to piss her off if the glare she gave him was any indication.

"I don't know why anyone would go after the Yamanakas," Chouji said, answering Sasuke's question. "But then where is she? And after what happened to Tamaki –"

"All right." Sakura pushed her hair back, turning quickly and grabbing her coat. "Sasuke, come with me – you'll need an alibi if something else happens. Chouji, you too."

Chouji nodded quickly, and the three of them hurried from Sakura's apartment. She looked to Sasuke and he activated his sharingan.

"I can't see her," he admitted, and let it go. "She might be too far away."

"All right." Sakura took a deep breath and closed her tired eyes. "About how long ago did she disappear, Chouji?"

"Five and a half minutes," Chouji said promptly. Sasuke made a small noise of approval for his accuracy.

"Five and a half minutes, from the Yamanaka household." Sakura summoned up a mental map of the village, taking into consideration Ino's usual speed, Sasuke's range, and her own ability to sense Ino's chakara after years of close friendship.

"Let's try that way," she suggested, and they were off.

~

Nene Okasawa set a down pot of flowers. She straightened slowly, rubbing her back, and dusted off her hands. She was too old for this. Probably ought to have bullied her grandson into helping, but he'd been so tired from his training, and he'd been watching his favorite TV show, eyes drooping and half-asleep. She just didn't have the heart to argue with him.

Still though, work had to be done. No good in letting the Yamanakas get ahead, after all, especially that little vixen Ino. Nene had never really liked the girl, too much sass and flair than was good for her, and recently – hmph. All those rumors.

"Hmph," she muttered to herself, pleased with the sound of her own discontent. She heard the sound of a foot on the floor and turned. "Sorry, we're closed –"

No one was there. She went to investigate.

Nothing was out of place. The door was still locked, the street dark and empty. She didn't bother to check the window to her right, hidden by a shelf of flowers.  _Must have been hearing things_ , she decided –

And that was the last thing she thought. There wasn't even time to see – just a blur of yellow and the sickening rip of flesh. Nene fell, slowly, and landed in the arms of her startled killer.

Upstairs, her grandson changed the channel on the television and didn't hear a thing.

~

"I don't like this."

"We know you don't like it, kid," Genma said from behind his mask. "But there's not a whole lot we can do about it. You're a genius, right?"

Shikamaru managed to sulk, incredibly, without showing his face. "That's what they say."

"Then you oughta know there's nothing we can do, huh?"

Hinata sighed. "Bickering won't solve anything," she said softly, but sternly. "If you two are quiet, though, we can eavesdrop and . . . what?"

There was a moment of silence, and six animal masks turned to stare. She blinked from behind her own. "What?"

"She's got a point," Shikamaru said, impressed. "We're ANBU, right? The wall's not that thick."

"Kids these days," Genma drawled, like he was some old man. "No honor at all. Good job, Hinata. Everyone else, shut up –"

The door to Naruto's cell swung open, and they all came to attention. "Get a medic!" the Interrogator shouted. One of the ANBU vanished to do so even as Hinata hurried forward.

"What is it – Naruto!" She stopped and yanked off her mask, hurrying to Naruto's side. He was sprawled across the table, unconscious, fingers twitching slightly as if he was dreaming. From within her robes she found a vial of smelling salts, but he didn't wake even as she pressed them against his nose. "What happened?" she demanded, glancing over her shoulder and feeling for Naruto's pulse. Rapid.  _Dammit._

"He just collapsed," the Interrogator said, growing worried as six ANBU clustered around him and their fallen leader. "I didn't do anything, really, there was no warning at all, it was a shock –"

Hinata summoned byakugan and swayed in surprise. Genma braced her unnecessarily, more to show solidarity her than anything else. "Whaddya see, kid?"

"The  _kyuubi_ ," she murmured. "It's chakara is missing! How on earth . . . ."

Genma pulled off his mask, staring grimly at Naruto as if he, too, could see his chakara. He was the only one of them that remembered the  _kyuubi_. It didn't bear asking as to whether they were good memories or not.

"Did the fox break free?" the Interrogator asked, voice hushed. Hinata straightened, fully intending to say no, of course not, but then she realized that she couldn't. If the  _kyuubi_ 's chakara wasn't in Naruto, then where was it?

~

"Ino-chan!"

"Ino, where are you? We just want to make sure you're okay!"

"Ino-chan!"

"Yamanaka, quit wasting our time and get your ass out here!"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, equal parts amused and indignant. "Jeez, Sasuke, try to be a little nicer. She's grieving, after all."

He had the grace to look slightly abashed. "Fine. Ino, get your ass out here!"

She turned to exchange glances with Chouji but he had stopped several feet back, staring ahead. Sakura looked too –

"Ino-chan!" She darted forward, only realizing she'd used unnatural speed when Ino jumped, startled, and Chouji hollered for her to slow down.

"It's okay," Sakura whispered, feeling foolish. Ino started to shake.

Sakura touched her shoulder carefully, turning her around. She was covered in blood and foul-smelling liquids, her hands trembling so badly that it looked like she had palsy. A kunai bloodstained kunai rested on the ground, by Sakura's foot, and she stared at it blankly for a moment.

She lifted her eyes. "Ino-chan, what happened?" she asked gently. Ino stared mutely, and Sakura repeated herself, shaking the other girl. "C'mon, Ino-chan, talk to me." 

Ino sucked in a deep breath of air. "Sakura-chan," she murmured, clearly astonished.

"Ino-chan," Sakura said uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot. "Ino-chan, what happened . . . ?"

Ino shuddered. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Sasuke and Chouji finally caught up, arguing quietly between themselves, as Ino started to cry. Sakura patted her on the shoulder, joined shortly by Chouji. When he asked Ino what had happened, she just shook her head and covered her face.

Without a word, Sasuke went around them. He called for Sakura a moment later. "You need to see this."

With a deep breath, Sakura left Ino to Chouji and went inside. When she saw Nene's body – on her back, disemboweled guts spilling across the floor, expression frozen into one of shock – she pressed the back of her wrist to her mouth. "Oh, my god."

"Who's there? Grandma?"

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged horrified looks. Sasuke ran up the stairs to stop the boy from coming down, even as Sakura fished out her radio. "Ibiki-sensei? It's Sakura, pick up!" She waited a moment, noticed that Chouji had led Ino inside, away from the body, and that Sasuke was arguing with the boy upstairs. "Ibiki-sensei! Are you there?"

"I'm here," Ibiki's deep voice finally answered. She could hear voices in the background, someone shouting what sounded like order. "What's going on?"

"There's been another murder," Sakura said grimly. From upstairs, there came the sound of a small scuffle and a boy shouting,  _No, you're wrong, I wanna see my grandma!_  She winced. "You need to get here quick. It's bad."

"On my way." There was a click.

Sakura put the radio away and joined Sasuke. The boy had stopped struggling and simply stood, his hands limp at his sides. He wore a forehead protector.  _A genin?_  she wondered. He looked about fourteen, maybe a little bit younger, with dark brown hair and wide brown eyes.

She knelt. "What's your name, kiddo?" Her jaw felt tight, like the muscles were all tense, and it was hard to force her lips open so the words could get out.

He glared at her warily. "Naganori," he said finally. "Who're you?"

"I'm Sakura." Sakura took his hands and made him sit on the steps, glancing briefly at Sasuke. His expression was pained, but composed. He nodded. "Did Sasuke tell you what happened?"

Naganori started to tremble. "He said my grandma's dead," he said, voice trembling. "She's not, is she? I was just upstairs, I'd've heard anything for sure. I'm a genin, I'd definitely have heard – I'd've heard for sure. He's gotta be lying."

"I'm afraid he's not," Sakura said softly. There was a pause as she searched for the proper words, something comforting to say, and Naganori stared with wide eyes. He was too old for any of it.

Sakura sighed. "She's gone, Naganori. Where are your parents?"

"Don't have any," he whispered. "Dead."

She took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, and swallowed. "Okay. Come on upstairs with me, all right?"

They were halfway there when the shock wore off. Naganori started to cry, his hand curled into a fist and his arm thrown over his eyes, like he didn't want them to see. Sakura stepped back, uselessness curdling her belly, and he started to push past her. It was Sasuke who caught him

Even as Sakura stared, astonished, Sasuke held onto Naganori with one arm and let him cry into his shirt. "Sasuke?" she murmured, thinking,  _come on, gimme a clue here, what do I do,_  but his eyes were dark and blank, holding nothing. He didn't even seem to see her.

Sakura shut her mouth.

A woman came up the stairs a short while later. Sakura recognized her as one of the medic-nin that usually worked with the Interrogators, Hanako Sanda. "I'll look after him," Hanako mouthed, and took Naganori gently from Sasuke. Sasuke let her.

"You're Naganori, right?" Hanako asked, voice low and soothing. The boy nodded, tears streaming silently down his face. "Let's go upstairs for a little while," Hanako suggested, and he let himself be led.

Sakura sighed in relief. Sasuke stared at her. "Hanako's a medic-nin," she explained quietly, fiddling nervously with the hem of her shirt. "She studied mental illnesses with Godaime-sama –"

"I know," Sasuke interrupted. "I recognized her." He shook his head hard and walked past her, his hands in his pockets. "Let's go."

They found Ibiki in the center of the shop, frowning over Nene's body. He spotted Sakura and beckoned her over, Sasuke trailing on her heels.

"What happened?" Ibiki demanded.

Sakura shook her head slowly. "I don't know. Chouji showed up at my doorstep and said that Ino was missing, so we – Sasuke, Chouji, and I – we went looking for her." She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face, and continued. "We found her outside the shop, covered in blood and looking dazed, and then Sasuke and I found the body. Her grandson – Naganori – almost came downstairs, so we had to stop him."

Ibiki nodded and grabbed a radio from his pocket. "Headquarters, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, sir."

He started requesting a medic team and back-up. Sakura turned to Sasuke. "Where's Ino?" she murmured, more to get Sasuke's attention than anything else.

He gestured and followed her over. Ino and Chouji were tucked behind a shelf of plants, Ino sitting on the ground, Chouji all but standing guard. Sakura nodded to him, and he stepped aside. She knelt.

"Ino, what happened?"

Ino shook her head groggily. "I don't know," she whispered. Her eyes narrowed sharply and she hiccuped, clenching and unclenching her blood-sticky fists. "I went to bed and then I – I was here. I thought I was dreaming, but –"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. Sakura glanced back at him; his brow was furrowed with thought. "You thought you were dreaming?"

She stared up at him. "The woman," she said slowly. "Nene. She was on top of me – I pushed her away and –" She hiccuped again, closing her eyes tightly. Immediately, Sakura and Chouji moved to comfort her while Sasuke drew away, embarrassed. "And she was dead, and I went outside, and I kept thinking –  _I've got to be dreaming. I've got to be. I've_  –" She stopped, mouth pulling into a fierce grimace, and dissolved silently into tears.

Ibiki had come up behind them and heard. "Someone take her home," he ordered. "Get her cleaned up. Sasuke, you're off the hook for now. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, isn't so lucky."

Sakura straightened and demanded in unison with Sasuke, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's awake now," Ibiki said, watching Sasuke intently. "But he passed out, and according to Hinata Hyuuga, the  _kyuubi_  wasn't inside of him. As far as I can tell –" He grinned, somewhere between ironic amusement and regret. Sakura grabbed two handfuls of Sasuke's shirt in case he got violent. "As far as I can tell, the  _kyuubi_  possessed your friend Ino and made her kill Nene, and possessed you to make you kill Tamaki."

"You can't be serious," Sakura whispered.

He looked at her, grin fading quickly. "What else is there?"

Sakura turned to Sasuke. His eyes were very wide, his face very pale. They both knew what this meant – Naruto's worst fear, that he couldn't control the  _kyuubi_. And the worst fear of the village as well. If the  _kyuubi_  could possess people – and who was to say that it couldn't? What did they know about the  _kyuubi_ , really? – if it could, then Naruto . . . .

"But what else is there?" she whispered.

Sasuke yanked himself free of her and went outside. Sakura followed him after a moment, struggling to escape the smell of blood and death. Ino was still crying.

~

Shikaku was waiting at the door when Inoshi and his wife, Katsumi, returned home. Asako and Chiyeko lugged two piles of blankets, looking back frequently at Echiko, fast asleep in her uncle's arms. Inoshi took one look at his friend's face and handed his niece to Katsumi.

"Let's go, girls," she said, ushering them down the hall. "We'll lay the blankets in the sitting room, all right?"

Asako nodded slowly, face small and pinched above her favorite pillow. "I guess, Aunt Katsumi."

"What is it?" Inoshi asked once they were gone, voice urgent. "What happened?"

Shikaku told him about Nene, briskly and thoroughly. Inoshi rocked backwards in shock, his face gone pale. "She's upstairs?"

"Yes. Chouji is with her." Shikaku shook his head slowly. "That Naruto . . . ."

"Don't be stupid, dad," Shikamaru said. Inoshi jumped and turned. Shikamaru had apparently been behind him the entire time, listening to every word. He stepped aside and let him enter.

Was this ever going to end? First Tamaki, and now Ino . . . .

Shikamaru removed his mask as his mother came down the stairs, already berating him for calling his father stupid. "Sorry, mom." He turned to Inoshi, brushing some of his loose hair from his face. "I need to bring Ino to the Interrogation chambers," he said apologetically. "She's not under arrest, she just needs to be questioned."

Sakura was with him. "She'll be all right," the girl promised softly. There was a streak of blood just below her knee, slightly damp where she'd scrubbed ineffectually with soap and water. "I'll make sure of it."

Inoshi sighed again, mind spinning aimlessly, and went upstairs to get his daughter.

~

Sasuke and Sakura waited outside of Naruto's interrogation cell anxiously. Ino, still badly dazed, had already been questioned and taken home by Chouji and Shikamaru, both of them promising that they'd look after her. Sasuke had used the time to dress properly, exchanging Naruto's ridiculous t-shirt for his typical uniform. The silence was awkward between them.

Finally, Sakura said, "I didn't want to arrest you, you know."

Sasuke had his arms crossed, and he wasn't looking at her. "I know."

"It was just, there was all of that evidence and I couldn't lie. There wasn't any way around it."

"I know."

"And I don't have a crush on you anymore," she added, a little nastily. Sasuke stared at the floor and blushed. "I haven't for years, way before you and Naruto got together. That was a really mean thing to say, Sasuke."

He scowled, annoyed, and edged away. No apology was forthcoming, which didn't surprise her even slightly. She could read his embarrassment as plain as day, however. It was probably the best she'd get.

The door to Naruto's cell opened. "You can go in," Ibiki said to Sasuke. "Sakura, I need to speak with you."

Sakura was surprised. Sasuke nodded to her swiftly and ducked past Ibiki, wide black eyes focused on the ground. Briefly, Sakura despised Ibiki for intimidating him like that – she glared at her former sensei, but he didn't seem to notice.

As the door shut, she caught a glimpse of Sasuke bending to kiss Naruto and she smiled.  _Those two. . . ._

"This way," Ibiki ordered.

She followed him down the hall. "What's going on?" she asked, drumming her hands against her thighs. She was at that sleepy state where everything was bright and shiny, and it was hard to focus.

Ibiki gestured for her to follow him into a small alcove. Baffled, she did.

"I'm putting you on this case," he said quietly, looming over her at his most imposing. Sakura recognized it as a general expression of concern. "But undercover."

"What?"

"The story is that you're doing this on your own time," Ibiki explained, "but I want you to report to me. And keep it quiet." He was worried.  _Ibiki, worried?_  She could count on one hand the number of times that she'd seen Ibiki worried. "If word gets out that Naruto can't control the  _kyuubi_ , he'll be exiled. At best."

Sakura stared down at her feet, pressed her palms to the wall behind her. "And at worst?"

"He'll be killed."

Ibiki swept away and sent a cluster of Interrogators scattering. Sakura watched him go.


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you think it worked?"

"I dunno . . . ."

"I think it worked. It was a good plan."

"Yeah."

~

It was a hot, dusty hike from Tsunade's lavish quarters to Gaara's home, but convincing her guards to stay behind turned out to be the more difficult task. After banging a few heads together -- she was the Hokage, what did they think, that she was a slouch? -- she set of with Shizune, scrupulously avoiding the Sand patrols. It had to be difficult, she imagined, saving one's village while exiled to it's borders, and she wasn't about to make things worse for Gaara by being caught.

They reached the house without incident, and found a small, lopsided dwelling, with roughly hewn windows and a coarse, ragged cloth covering what was probably a doorway. Tsunade called for Temari and waited.

The fabric was abruptly whisked aside. "Hokage-sama," Temari said, eyeing her with trepidation. She looked tired, and her blond hair, usually in bunches, fell limply around her pale face. "You might as well come in."

Tsunade nodded and stepped inside, ducking to avoid the lip of the door. "Thank you, Temari."

"Wait here." Temari walked off, elegant bare feet sinking into the loose sand. "Gaara! Kankuro!"

Kankuro's voice drifted from a dark hallway. "Not going out there," it said. "Crazy old hag."

"I heard that!" Tsunade called sweetly. He swore.

Shizune ducked in behind her and hovered at her elbow, scanning the sitting room and small kitchen with sharp eyes. Other than the couch, refrigerator, and staticy television, it was practically empty, the air cool and stale.

Tsunade took a deep breath and placed her palm against the nearest wall. Sandstone, she guessed, recognizing the texture almost immediately --  _solid_  sandstone at that, not bricks or slabs. The other houses she'd seen were adobe, either bleached by the sun or painted lurid colors. How on earth would one build with  _sandstone_? By carving it, maybe? That was an awful lot of work for such a small building.

Now that she thought about it, the wall felt alive.

The siblings joined them and Tsunade let her hand fall, inspecting them each in turn. Kankuro no longer used his face paint -- at least, not as much -- and his puppets were more like immaculate clones than jittery wood-and-metal constructions. His sister carried her giant fan and a series of flutes, delicate and carven of bone. Tsunade guessed that there were razors hidden beneath the hem of her short-short skirt and hid a smirk. She liked Temari. The girl had style.

Gaara, of course, was a demon lord, his face pale and gaunt beneath it's blood-red fringe, the heavy gourd buckled to his torso. A pair of flowing, creamy robes masked the lines of his body, but anyone could see that he was thin, and Tsunade guessed that his hands, buried in his sleeves, shook from time to time. His eyes were fidgety and frantic, flying from one thing to another; Tsunade's face, Shizune's kunai, Temari's profile, and then the sunlight spilling into the room.

"Close the door," he ordered, voice deep and slow. Tsunade freed the curtain and let it fall.

"What's the meaning of this?" Shizune demanded, glaring at Temari.

"It's about Naruto," Gaara said, without preamble. Temari and Kankuro watched him like they thought he'd collapse, and Tsunade followed their lead.

"What about Naruto?" she asked. She stepped past Shizune, closer to Gaara, and Temari tensed. "And what's wrong with you? Are you ill?"

"That's none of your business!" Temari snapped.

"Is  _Naruto_  ever ill?" Gaara retorted, ignoring his sister.

"Physically?" Tsunade muttered. "No. Mentally, however, is a whole other story."

Temari glared stonily, unamused. But Gaara's mouth twitched into a smile, and his eyes seemed to become more present, more aware -- their gazes met until he looked away.

"I'm not ill," he finally said. He looked forward again but refused to meet her eyes, staring past her shoulder into the shadows of a corner. He seemed almost sad. "Something is wrong with Shukaku."

Shizune stepped towards the door, expression bordering on revulsion, even as Tsunade joined Gaara in the center of the room. Without waiting for permission, Tsunade performed a quick jutsu and inspected his chakara.

Shukaku was drained, at half-strength, if that. It sensed her prodding and pushed at her weakly, causing it's host to wince. With a silent apology, Tsunade inspected Gaara and found him almost empty as well -- it looked like the demon was stealing his energy to fill itself.

She opened her eyes, face impassive. "The seals binding the demon are very sloppy."

"They've been tampered with," Temari said shortly, hand clenching around a particularly deadly flute. "By  _Orochimaru_." She spat the name.

"He tampered with Naruto's seal as well," Tsunade admitted. Gaara blinked at her slowly, struggling to follow the conversation. She lowered her voice to speak to him. "Have you been having headaches? Dizzy spells?"

"Dizzy spells," Kankuro muttered, scornful. He raised his voice as she cocked an eyebrow. "He's been passing out left and right. Why do you think we're out here on the outskirts? Everyone's pissed with us."

"Me," Gaara corrected loudly, glancing at his brother from the corner of his eye. "They're pissed with me."

"Us," Temari repeated. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Tsunade. "There. That's what we wanted to tell you. Now leave."

Shizune turned to do so, looking glad, but Gaara wasn't finished. "Naruto may be dying," he said loudly.

Tsunade frowned thoughtfully, having come to that conclusion on her own.

"He showed me his seal when I was in Konoha -- the  _kyuubi_  can't draw on his strength like Shukaku can mine." His mouth became a grim line. "If the  _kyuubi_  dies, it will take Naruto with it, no matter how strong he still is. The seal isn't designed to let -- your Yondaime --" He paused, his voice gentling in a way that indicated no offense was meant. "Your Yondaime didn't plan for something like this, with the  _kyuubi_  being drained instead of Naruto. If it dies, he dies." He grimaced. "You have to find out what's wrong with the demons, and it's no good asking Shukaku. He doesn't know."

Tsunade nodded slowly, overwhelmed by both worry and incredible sadness for the boy in front of her. "How much time have you spent unconscious? How much is Shukaku being drained?"

"Almost constantly," Gaara said. "There are times when I pass out, usually to wake a few seconds later."

Something clicked in her mind. “Your house," she said. "That's why it’s built of sand. So you can rebuild it easily."

"Give the woman a medal," Kankuro muttered. Tsunade grinned at him cheerfully, showing lots of teeth.

"Yes," Gaara said.

Tsunade's smile vanished, and she inclined her head politely. "Could you give me a list of times that you've been unconscious?"

Temari rolled her eyes and stormed from the room, disappearing down the dark hall. A moment later she returned, thrusting a slip of paper beneath Tsunade’s nose. "There," she said, eyes blazing. "Now  _get out_."

"Rude," Shizune muttered.

"Sycophant," Temari retorted unquietly.

"Thank you," Tsunade said to Gaara, ignoring the bickering. "I'll contact you with news of Naruto."

Kankuro scowled. "No one cares about that idiot," he mumbled, but Gaara half-smiled and nodded anyway. The sand around his feet shifted restlessly, like it wanted to hold him up, and Temari looked at him in much the same way.

Tsunade left.

~

Sakura spent the night sleeping fitfully, disturbed by nightmares where she ran through the village, searching for a place to ambush her pursuers while searching desperately for Naruto. She woke sore and tired, the sheets rucked up off the bed from her tossing and turning, and cursed her subconscious as she stumbled towards the bathroom. Way to waste a night's rest. Ibiki would kill her if he knew.

She found Sasuke in the kitchen, breakfast already set on the table. It wasn't unusual for them to dine together, but without Naruto it was so quiet that they might have been strangers. She ate without speaking, discomfited by the silence and Naruto's absence, and Sasuke seemed lost in thought.

"What are you going to do today?" she finally asked, dropping her plate in the sink. Sasuke was right behind her.

"Some work," he said vaguely. He was almost back to normal, but not quite -- something about his eyes was a little too distant, a little too difficult to read. Sakura tried not to stare. He hated it, she knew, but she was  _worried_. It had been a long time since his breakdown but she didn't want to take any risks. Not with Tsunade, their accomplice in his hiding and healing, out of the village.

"Looks like work for me, too." Sakura re-took her seat, pulling her papers towards her. She took a deep breath, bracing herself, and asked, "Before you go, can you give me a list of dates and times that Naruto passed out?"

Sasuke turned quickly with a nod. "Fine."

Sakura watched him scribble, debating whether or not to speak. Too much, and Sasuke would retreat. Too little, he would think she didn't care. Too little, and she might feel even worse than she did already. "Are you all right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke hesitated, wrote one last date, and then backed away slowly. "I’m fine," he mumbled, not looking up. "I'm going to talk to Kakashi."

"Okay," Sakura said quietly, her cheeks coloring. "Are you going to come back here tonight?"  _Are you still mad at me?_

His shoulders twitched. He hesitated.

"Sure," he said, and left.

~

Sasuke spotted Kakashi in the window, reading, and gave it a hard tap, annoyed when Kakashi didn't jump. He entered without knocking, kicking his shoes off automatically, and joined him in the sitting room.

"Morning, Sasuke," Kakashi said, setting his book aside. "You look like shit."

"Shut up." Sasuke dropped neatly onto the couch. "I spent last night in an Interrogation cell. With fucking Ibiki, of all people."

"So I heard."

"Yeah? Thanks for showing up and helping out." Sasuke lifted his head to glare, but looked away quickly. The sunlight pouring through the window hurt his eyes -- he hadn't told Sakura, but he'd spent most of last night awake, turning his  _sharingan_  on and off in an attempt to see something useful.

"I figured you'd kill me if I did," Kakashi said. "That was what you said last time, anyway. Should I have still gone?"

Sasuke turned pink. He'd forgotten about that. "I'd have a dead sensei."

"That does seem to be one of your primary goals in life."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, mouth settling into a lazy smirk, and relaxed at last. "This is about the frog, isn't it? I'm telling you, that was Naruto's idea."

"So I've heard." Kakashi left the window seat and sat on his coffee table, carelessly knocking some papers onto the floor. Sasuke stretched his legs out beside him, wincing as his tired body ached. Kakashi sighed. "What's up?"

Sasuke shrugged, fiddling with the lint in his pocket. "Nothing, really."

Kakashi just waited. Sasuke took his turn sighing.

"It's." He paused, shifting uneasily against the worn couch and taking a deep breath. The room was cold and damp, the windows open to the early morning air, and everything smelled of dew. His eyes flickered --  _sharingan_  on,  _sharingan_  off -- and he admitted, "I should have asked you this a long time ago."

"Ah." Kakashi rubbed his chin. "About my  _sharingan_ , then."

Sasuke nodded slowly, hardly daring to hope it would be this easy. "When did you get it?"

Kakashi tilted his head back and stared at the light patterns on the ceiling. He seemed thoughtful, but beneath that was a quiet undercurrent of pain. Ashamed, Sasuke looked away.

Once, he'd thought he was in love with Kakashi. He'd grown out of it, with time, and recognized it now for what it was -- a childish crush -- but sometimes he thought that Kakashi hadn't. Grown out of it. It used to make him uncomfortable, worried, until Sakura finally sat him down and said, basic and frank as she sometimes was, that it was just life. Kakashi's relationships were like the man himself, lopsided and full of still, deep waters, and Sasuke would just have to live with it. Because it wasn't going away.

"Twenty years ago," Kakashi finally said. "You hadn't been born."

Sasuke stared out the window. "How?"

"Surgery, obviously." Kakashi shrugged, sliding into his usual slouch. "The  _sharingan_  itself came from my friend, Obito. He was your . . . cousin, I think."

"My cousin," Sasuke repeated quietly, almost soundlessly. He remembered -- nothing. But there were flashes, images, distorted by the  _mangekyou_ , but real. His, not Itachi's. It was so hard to tell, sometimes. "You . . . were you the only one? Your forehead protector . . . there were others who wore them like that." 

Sasuke reached up, touched his own protector in an attempt to remember. So much was lost. His clearest memories began after his breakdown, when Naruto and Tsunade finally coaxed him out of his waking coma, when he learned that Kakashi and Sakura were pretending to be him, sitting through his trials and keeping the way home open. And with those two doing crazy things like that, what else could he do?

His purpose re-bolstered, Sasuke's hand fell. He felt a little bit stronger.

"You got the  _sharingan_  when you joined the MP corps," he said.

Kakashi was surprised. "Yeah," he said. "Well, if you weren't an Uchiha, you had to be sworn in by a member of the clan. The eye-switch was optional, but it seemed like a good idea." His voice was wistful.

Sasuke looked down. "What do you remember of it? The MP?"

Kakashi stared at him.

"I'm rebuilding it," Sasuke admitted, and wondered if he should be talking to someone else.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head ruefully, staring at the floor as Sasuke waited, breath held. It would be simpler to walk away, leave the past in the past and all that. But they both knew better than that.

"You kids," Kakashi finally said, tired and amused. "Never fail to surprise me."

Sasuke gave him a Look.

"Well, I can take you back to our old headquarters. As the last member of the original MP, I've got access to all the old files. That should help answer some of your questions." Kakashi stood and shrugged. "I'll talk on the way."

~

There was something that she was overlooking.

Sighing, Sakura stood, straightening the papers on her kitchen table and looking at them critically. She had Tamaki's documents, some papers of Nene's, transcripts of interviews and statements, and some scrolls about mind-control borrowed from the Yamanakas.

And yet, there was something she was missing. She just knew it.

Her stomach growled loudly, as if in agreement. "I'm hungry," she muttered. "I forgot to eat lunch. And look, I'm talking to myself, too. Lovely."

She went to a cabinet and rustled around, surprised to find ramen in there. Left by a thoughtful Naruto-fairy, no doubt. She'd have to thank him later. When he'd been released from custody.

She sighed again.

After hours of research and careful though, she still had three theories. The first -- and her favorite -- was that Sasuke and Ino were being mind-controlled. She knew Ino and Sasuke well enough to make it a no-brainer, in fact, and wouldn't be entertaining any other theories at all if it wasn't for it's relative impossibility. The Yamanakas had centuries of documentation about mind-control, what was possible and what wasn't.

And they said, quite emphatically, that controlling a body and suppressing memories at the same time was impossible. It just required too much chakara.

Which led straight to the second theory -- that the  _kyuubi_  was really behind it at all. It had, after all, chakara to spare. But the idea didn't work, and not just because it put Naruto in danger. If the demon fox could free itself, even briefly, why would it jeopardize that freedom with something as conspicuous as random murders?

And then the third theory, but it was so far-fetched that she only considered it so she could shoot it down later: that Ino and Sasuke were working together. Sasuke's _sharingan_  could erase memories, and Ino had  _shintenshin_ , to control bodies. But if they were working together, why had their bodies done the killing? And why would they work together at all? They didn't share any interests or goals, and they got along about as well as cats and dogs. They had the most means, but the least motive.

The first theory was her best bet, but she knew she'd never manage to sell it to Ibiki, especially since she wasn't supposed to be working on this case anyway. He had more faith in books than humans, and would pin the crime on Naruto rather than assume that the Yamanakas's research was wrong. She cared for Ibiki, more than anyone else in the village did, but she knew him well. He needed to solve this mystery, and soon. He'd be ruthless about it.

If she reported her theories to him, he'd go after Sasuke, Ino, and Naruto. The people she cared for most. She could lie, but she and Ibiki had learned to trust each other, and she didn't want to break that trust.

Either way, she needed to figure something out. She didn't want to leave Naruto in interrogation, and wanted even less to see Sasuke back in there, or Ino in his place. Of all of them, Naruto would hold up the longest, although she  _did_  worry that he'd incriminate himself.

The timer on her microwave went off and she jumped. She rustled around for a fork, grabbing the ramen with one hand and sitting on the counter as she ate. Her eyes returned to the papers still on her kitchen table.

 _I can figure this out_ , she reminded herself.  _Nothing is impossible. No matter how long it takes, I'm going to do this -- Naruto and Sasuke are depending on me. I will definitely prove them innocent._

But she still felt desolate after her pep talk. There was  _still_  some goddamned detail that she was overlooking! She could  _sense_  it!

Sighing for the third time, she ate her ramen, and tried to be cheerful. But she wasn't Naruto, and there was only so much joy she could take in food.

~

Kakashi took Sasuke to the MP headquarters, glancing at him frequently to make sure he was well. He seemed calm, at least, with none of the feral, seething hatred that welled up sometimes, usually when he thought of Itachi or felt threatened. That was Kakashi's real reason for not visiting him while he was under arrest. The last time Sasuke had been interrogated, Kakashi had nearly been court-martialed for his behavior. It was just too hard to watch.

But Sasuke was calm, and there was a determined glint to his gaze that made Kakashi think of Naruto. That was good. Very good.

"Here it is," Kakashi said blandly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the building, and then looked quickly away as someone stepped out.

"Kakashi-san!" The officer hesitated in the doorway, looking awkward. "Uchiha-sama?"

Sasuke stepped forward before Kakashi could speak. "We've come to look at the old records," he said. Kakashi kept his expression bored. "And I need to talk to whoever is acting as commander."

"Of course, Uchiha-sama!" The officer led them inside, past an empty front desk, and towards the back rooms. "These are the old records, the new records are kept in the main office." The man lifted a box onto a rickety table, nearly fumbling it in his nervousness. "These are the last records of -- of -- the last records." Sasuke nodded slowly. "The commander -- Benkei Erizawa -- he's out today, but I can summon him, I --"

"This will be fine for now," Sasuke said quietly. "Will you be here later?" He looked over at Kakashi as he spoke, but Kakashi was staring idly out a window, innocent as a summer sky.

"I'll be here as long as you need, Uchiha-sama," the officer promised. "And you can call on me anytime, I don't live too far, I've got -- I've got plenty of time." He twitched under Sasuke's stern gaze, but his expression, his entire demeanor, was puppyish in it's loyalty and enthusiasm.

Sasuke nodded. "What's your name?"

"Hayato, sir." Hayato started to offer his hand, hesitated, reconsidered, hesitated again when Sasuke looked surprised, but eventually they managed to get the deed done. Kakashi stared at a tree and tried very hard not to laugh. "Hayato Koyama, sir."

Sasuke nodded again, slightly at a loss. "Thank you, Hayato-san."

The honorific nearly did the poor man in. He bowed low and hurried away, disappearing quickly down the short hall.

Sasuke turned from Kakashi before he could start. "I don't want to hear it."

"That box is the one you're looking for," Kakashi said, pointing. "And what do you mean? Hear what?"

"You know what I mean."

"Sorry, I don't. Teasing, I guess?" Kakashi grinned widely. "I would never tease you, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave him another Look, the sort you'd get from a cat who's tail you'd stepped on. "Right," he said, and lifted the box Kakashi had pointed it. He opened it and sneezed. "What is this, anyway?" he asked. "How do you know what I'm looking for?"

"Standard operating procedures, right?" Kakashi asked. "Emergency plans. That sort of thing."

Sasuke looked at him warily, but nodded.

"Well, it's all in there. I'd tell you it myself, but you know." Kakashi shrugged wryly. "I was never good at the standard operating procedures."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." Sasuke lifted a manila folder and opened it carefully. Kakashi saw the exact moment that he recognized his father's handwriting, the yawning pits of sadness in his eyes, the tense, angry line of his mouth --

And then the flicker was gone. He sat and read the paper carefully.

Kakashi pulled out another another box. This one was full of case records, mostly the recent ones. He spotted his name a few times and shook his head. It had been a long time.

Sasuke looked up and caught his eye. "What's that?"

"Old records," Kakashi sat casually. He drug over a tall box, stuffed with papers, and sat on it since Sasuke had the chair. "Might be interesting."

"You're in there?"

"Course."

"You actually showed up on time for a mission?"

"Every now and then," Kakashi admitted. "Usually Obito just drug me out of bed, though. Don't tell anyone."

"Your secret is safe with me," Sasuke said sardonically. "No one will ever guess." He returned to his reading and Kakashi browsed the files, skipping the ones marked 'classified' out of some sense of respect. The vast majority of these people were dead. The handful that weren't -- outsiders brought into the MP, like him -- were crippled. And for the one or two that weren't either . . . missing-nin. Itachi hadn't been the first.

Kakashi heard a noise and craned his neck to see down the hall. "Hayato's out there," he said, sitting back on his box.

"I noticed."

"He seems to like you," Kakashi said, wondering if Hayato could hear them.

Sasuke made a non-committal noise.

"Everyone's been wondering when you'd come back, you know," Kakashi said. He kept his voice calm to avoid making Sasuke skittish, and added, "They knew it'd happen. Probably took bets."

Sasuke propped his elbows on the table, concealed his expression behind his linked hands. It was the closest thing he had to a nervous habit. "Yeah," he said. "I waited too long."

"Join the club," Kakashi said, with feeling.

Sasuke smiled fleetingly. "Yeah," he said again, and they lapsed into silence.

~

When Ibiki threw open the door to Naruto's interrogation cell, he looked like he was stepping out of a battle zone. Naruto, dozing on the table, jerked to wakefulness and frowned. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Your friends," Ibiki growled. Naruto grinned.  _The simple grin of an idiot_ , Ibiki thought nastily.  _How I long to end it._  "What are you paying them?"

"Hey!" Naruto jabbed a finger at him. "Maybe you pay your friends, old man, but I don't!" He leaned back, satisfied. "They've realized you don't have a single reason to keep me here, haven't they?"

"I've got plenty of reasons to keep you here," Ibiki said.  _Starting with the fact that you piss me off._

He'd been interrupted on his way down by Chouji and Shikamaru, and found himself being treated to a point-by-point analysis of his department's procedural mistakes (he could have sworn there weren't that many) and then a point-by-point analysis of the flaws in his personality. The tail end of the conversation had been overheard and interrupted by Ino, who, after her long friendship with Sakura, knew how to wield an insult with volume.

Before he could escape, Hinata and Kiba, stopping by to see if they could visit Naruto (they couldn't) had joined in. Hinata at least managed to be polite, but they both dropped hints about the ANBU being angry over their commander's imprisonment. Shikamaru had quickly pointed out that it wasn't entirely legal. Ibiki had quickly retorted that he was going to kill them all.

And then still  _more_  kids showed up to pester him, ones that he didn't recognize -- a tall girl with dark hair and a wicked-looking mace, a loud-mouthed guy with a bad haircut, and some eerily quiet guy with sunglasses and lots of bugs. Ibiki was just glad he was alive.

"Like what reasons do you have?" Naruto demanded, chin stuck out.

"The  _kyuubi_ , for one," Ibiki snapped. He needed to find a quiet place to think, but between Naruto and Naruto's friends, that was like sprouting wings and flying.

Naruto flushed angrily. "The  _kyuubi_  doesn't control me!" he said, pushing back from the table and standing up. "You can't use that as a reason to keep me locked up!"

"It's not about whether the  _kyuubi_  controls you," Ibiki reminded him. "It's about whether the  _kyuubi_  controls other people."

Naruto threw himself back into his chair with an ugly scowl. "He says he didn't," Naruto muttered. "He says he doesn't know what happened."

"And of course," Ibiki said, deep voice amused, "the nine-tailed demon fox would never lie."

The nine-tailed demon fox's host glared at him wordlessly.

"I can see this isn't going to be useful," Ibiki said, inwardly praying that the Naruto Brigade had been evacuated. "I'll --"

The door opened behind him. Ibiki turned, preparing to order whoever it was out, and caught a flash of pink hair. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried, jumping to his feet. "Hey, hey, are you here to save me?"

Ibiki had been thinking the same thing. He glowered at the boy.

Sakura grinned. "Sort of," she said. "Ibiki-sensei, I need to talk to you for a moment. And then I'll come visit you, Naruto."

Ibiki gave her a dark look and followed her across the hall, to another cell where they could have some privacy. Naruto's ANBU guard, the one with straw peeking out from under his mask, watched them avidly.  _Nosy bastard._

"What have you found?" Ibiki asked.

Sakura took a deep breath, bracing herself against the table. She suddenly seemed very nervous. "I can't tell you," she said calmly.

Ibiki stared at her and wondered if he was the victim of a bad prank. Maybe the Naruto Brigade had gotten to her. "You can't tell me," he repeated.

"No," she said, hands twisting her sleeves nervously. Her lips were flushed where she'd been gnawing them, he noted, and her shirt was wrinkled from being wrung repeatedly. Her expression was fixed, eyebrows were drawn faintly together, and she was breathing slightly too hard. Perspiring lightly. Voice high-pitched.

"Why?" he demanded, putting all of his best tactics to use. Sakura shrank back slightly.

"Because, I -- because you put me in charge of this case, and I think I should be making the calls." She'd probably rehearsed, but she swallowed halfway through and ruined the delivery.

He sighed, leaning back against the door. "I was right," he decided.

Sakura was watching his eyes intently. "About what?"

"That you'd make a bad Interrogator," he said calmly.

She blinked hard, stunned and hurt. "Oh," she said, eyes suddenly downcast. "Okay."

"You're too easy to read," he added. "It's obvious why you want to be in charge of the case." Sakura stared at him. "Bad decision, Sakura. You need to be objective."

She sighed, apparently relieved, and closed her eyes briefly. "I'm being objective," she said. Her voice was firm, now, and her posture was more relaxed. When their eyes met, hers were very green and very calm. "Right now, the evidence all points to impossible theories. The best thing we can do is monitor all suspects and the village as a whole, while appearing to let down our guard so we can flush the killer out."

"And you can't tell me your theories, why?"

Sakura hesitated.  _Which of her friends is she protecting?_  he wondered.  _Who does she suspect the most?_  Probably Naruto or Sasuke, but Ino was a strong possibility -- she'd recovered quickly from the shock of Nene's death, which was either a testament to her training or a product of her guilt. Sakura was devoted to all of him, even, despite their bickering, Ino.

Perhaps Ino most of all. Ibiki hadn't forgotten the sight of Sakura as a blond, putting herself in the hands of a killer to save her friend. Threatening Sasuke and Naruto sent her into a panic, but threatening Ino sent her into a cold, reptilian state of mind, deadly to everyone around her.

"Because I think I should be in charge of this case," Sakura finally said, voice firm. "I can be objective -- I am objective -- Ibiki-sensei, I know what I have to do." Her gaze became unhappy, if resolved. "I have to protect the village. Even if it's someone I care about that's doing the damage. But I don't want to put this in anyone else's hands. There's too much I care about at risk."

He nodded. He didn't melt under her wide, somber eyes -- he never melted -- but he did relent slightly. "Fine," he said. "You're in charge. Naruto's your prisoner now, and I'll send you Sasuke's transcripts."

"Thank you, sensei."

He left without another word, and the door swung shut behind him.

With a sigh, Sakura pulled out a chair and sank into it. Her hands, steady so long, began to shake.

She hadn't wanted to say it, but her reason for being in charge was, very simply, that she didn't think anyone else could do it. Oh, there were other good Interrogators, some far better than she. But this was an unusual crime, and the main suspects had difficult histories with the village. The pressure was on, and Ibiki, like Sakura, understood that sometimes personal well-being was forfeited for the village's peace of mind -- but Ibiki, unlike Sakura, might imprison Naruto and Sasuke, even wrongfully, so that people would feel safe. It was all he could do.

But people trusted Sakura. The Yamanakas, the Naras, the Akimichis, the Aburames, the Inuzakas, and more besides -- all the families she'd grown up with, the ninjas she'd fought beside. . . . Most Interrogators distanced themselves from their fellows, understanding all too well that they might be enemies someday, but Sakura hadn't. It simply hadn't occurred to her.

And so they trusted her. If she said Naruto and Sasuke weren't guilty, they would believe her -- reluctantly, with some doubt, but they would believe her.

Grimacing, Sakura stared down at her bitten nails. She felt horrible. People believed in her, and here she was, using them as a shield, using their faith in her as, as -- hell, just using it. Calculating with it, the way you'd calculate with a last cup of milk halfway through baking a cake. She felt dishonest.

But it had to be done. And she wouldn't fail them, any of them, not Sasuke or Naruto and certainly not Ino, no matter what it took. It would be all right. It had to be.

She stood, straightening her clothes, and left the cell. Genma was still in front of Naruto's door, but he stepped aside as she approached.

Naruto brightened at the sight of her. "Sakura-chan, what's up?"

She grinned at him, truly happy for the first time in ages. "Brace yourself," she advised. Naruto made a show of doing so. "You're free."

"I -- what?"

"You're free!" She pushed open the door and gave a little flourish. "Get out of here, Naruto, and go check on Sasuke. I'm in charge now and I'll --"

He caught her up in a tremendous hug and squeezed the air out of her lungs, lifting her feet right up off the floor. She squeaked. "I love you," he announced, kissed her atop the head, and bolted.

"Hey!" someone yelled in the distance. "Where's the fire, kid? You messed up my papers!"

"Sorry!"

Sakura left the cell, giggling hysterically. Genma looked at her and said, voice proud, "Nice job, kid."

"Thanks," Sakura wheezed. "Ow, my ribs."

~

Kakashi left Sasuke to his inspections and joined Hayato in the main office. Benkei, the acting Commander, had been called at some point, and the two men were in close discussion as Kakashi entered. They looked at him attentively.

"Is there anything we can help you with, Kakashi-san?" Benkei offered. He was calmer than Hayato, quieter and darker. Hayato -- Benkei's second-in-command, maybe? -- fidgeted behind the desk. They were probably a team, Kakashi mused, summoning up his old memories of MP procedure. Two to a team, with a balance between ninjutsu and taijutsu, and the rare medic-nin.

"Not at the moment," Kakashi said. "I think Sasuke will be a little while longer, though."

He settled into a nearby chair and waited. Pretty soon, a nervous Hayato started up a polite conversation, which he followed distractedly. His thoughts remained with Sasuke, still paging through reports penned by his dead father, but they also lingered on Naruto and Sakura. Despite his best attempts to concentrate, his mind wandered.

It took Sasuke two hours to realize that Kakashi had left, and only then when he asked him something and got no answer. With a shrug, he went back to his reading.

A short time after that, he caught the sound of voices and the smell of food. Suddenly ravenous, he lifted his head and sniffed.  _Ramen_ , he thought, stomach twisting in a way that had nothing to do with hunger. Someone must have gotten take-out, sitting up and waiting for him to finish.

He looked out a window. It was dark out, well past dusk and easing into night. He'd been at it for long enough.

 _I guess I'll try to visit Naruto_ , he thought bleakly. He'd much rather stay here with these musty papers than speak with Ibiki, or go to his empty house, but he had the feeling that Hayato and Kakashi would stay as long as he did, and that was unfair. No choice.

Sighing, he stood, gathering up some papers he'd kept out. The reports were over ten years old, but they detailed early investigations into a drug ring, and while the case itself was unremarkable, Sasuke remembered Sakura investigating something along those lines earlier. Something about unusual numbers of drug dealers turning up dead. She would find it interesting, at least, and possibly useful. He tried not to notice that the case had been closed by Itachi.

Sasuke switched off the light, the folder under his arm. The voices in the office slowed as he approached.

"You finished, Sasuke?" Kakashi called. "I convinced everyone it wasn't worth their lives to interrupt."

Sasuke's lips twitched. "I'm finished," he said, and turned to shut the door. "There's some stuff I want to take home --"

He stopped, realizing what he'd just seen, and turned slowly.

Naruto grinned at him from his seat on Benkei's desk. Four bowls were stacked up next to him, the remnants of the ramen meal that Sasuke had smelled.

"They let me go," Naruto said, hopping to his feet. "Sakura-chan's on the case -- I guess Ibiki realized he didn't know what he was doing --"

Kakashi, Hayato, and the other man picked themselves up and left, but Sasuke couldn't tear his eyes away from Naruto long enough to notice. He'd thought Naruto was being kept -- questioned -- because of  _him_  -- but here he was, fine and happy, and grinning at him with those eyes and --

Naruto grabbed Sasuke shoulders and kissed him fiercely, hungrily, slamming him into the wall and nearly climbing atop to get closer, more,  _now_. Sasuke dropped the folder and grabbed Naruto blindly, digging his fingers into soft skin and wiry muscle.  _This is real?_  he wondered slowly, images and sensations flickering across his mind -- Naruto's face as he was arrested, Naruto's hand being ripped from his arm -- and then Naruto's face as they pulled back for air, gasping, and Naruto's heavy weight pressing him to the wall, and he shuddered so hard it was like coming.  _Not a dream_ , he decided, and wrapped both arms around him tight.

"Naruto," he gasped, and they went back to kissing.  _I thought, I thought_  -- they parted for a moment. "I was wo -- when did you -- oh." Naruto mouthed the line of his throat, finding the pulse-point of his throat and sucking hard. "You -- Naruto." His hips rocked unsteadily, seeking closeness. 

"Hours ago," Naruto mumbled. His eager hands skimmed Sasuke's shoulders, kneading and tightening sporadically. "Sakura-chan let me go hours ago --"

"Why didn't you come get me --"

"Didn't want to interrupt. You were -- didn't want to --"

It was so stupid that Sasuke laughed, and Naruto looked proud, lifting his head to coax a slow kiss from his lips. Sasuke could taste the miso on his tongue, underlaid with the salt from his own skin. It made him shiver. "You should've gotten me -- you dumbass --"

Naruto's breath hitched as Sasuke switched their positions, pressing him against the door and pushing a knee between his legs. Naruto gasped as they moved together. "We should go home."

Sasuke nodded, briefly covering Naruto's mouth with his own, sucking on his kiss-swollen lips. "Yeah," he murmured, tugging Naruto's collar aside and tasting as much skin as he could reach. Naruto wriggled with a desperate keen, tugging on his hair. "Yeah. We can go in a minute." Naruto scraped his nails down Sasuke's back, left him moaning against his skin. "Again -- do that again --"

"Yeah," Naruto echoed, his nails marking on his skin. Sasuke pulled him as close as he could, driving him against the door with every hard thrust. Naruto whimpered. "Floor?"

Sasuke's knees gave out and they fell, scattering papers everywhere.  _Naruto's fault,_  he thought, even as he pushed aside his shirt and kissed his stomach, tongue-fucking his navel and grinning as he moaned. Part of him was stunned -- they were having sex in the  _MP headquarters_ , for the love of God -- but on the other hand, who would know?

"Sasuke," Naruto moaned, arching his back and pushing desperately closer.

"Right here," Sasuke said, voice rough, and filled his hands with all of Naruto that he could reach.

Outside, Kakashi gestured for Benkei and Hayato to walk ahead of him. "I'm sure they'll be a while," he said. "Sasuke will want to show him the records."

"Really?" Hayato asked. "Naruto's interested in the MP corps?"

"Sort of," Kakashi said vaguely, waving his hand. Well, Sasuke was interested in the MP, and Naruto was interested in Sasuke, so it wasn't really a lie. . . .

Benkei ducked his head to hide a smile. "I'm sure Uchiha-sama can figure out how to lock the door," he said, catching Hayato's shoulder and tugging him ahead. "Time for you to get home, son. It's past your bedtime."

"I'm not a kid," Hayato muttered sullenly, looking very much like he was.

Kakashi grinned at them, and waved as they parted ways.

He made a note to thank Naruto later. With any luck, the next time they visited MP headquarters Sasuke would be too distracted by thoughts of Naruto to dwell on thoughts of his dead family. Not to mention that this gave Kakashi material for weeks, if not years. Oh, what fun he would have.

 _A good day_ , he decided, and made his way home.


	5. Chapter 5

"Someone said Sakura-san is in charge now."

"Yeah, I heard that, too."

"What'll we do? We can't just --"

"We have to, it's the only way."

"Oh, how mean."

"We don't have a  _choice._  We can leave soon, everything'll be fine then."

"I don't want to leave."

"Quit whining. Look, we'll do it in a few hours before everyone wakes up."

"I don't want to leave. . . ."

"I said, quit whining!"

"You're so  _mean_  lately."

"Oh, shut up."

~

Gaara stood beside his bed, the blankets musty with disuse, and stared out a tiny window near the ceiling, his only source of illumination. Tsunade had left in the night, taking Shizune and her Leafnin with her. Now he had no excuse to leave his sandstone house, and Temari and Kankuro conscientiously followed suit. Eventually they would have to go buy food, but until then. . . .

He wondered again if Naruto was all right.

But there was nothing he could do. Lately he was entirely dependent on Temari and Kankuro for everything -- sustenance, safety, even simple companionship. It grated. He assured himself that once his fainting spells were fixed, things would go back to normal, but he knew he was lying to himself.

Deep down inside, Gaara wasn’t sure he wanted to forget. There was a thin line between his love and his hate for the village, as thin as the line between demon and human in his soul. He was different. And nothing he did could ever change that, nothing he did could make them forget.

With a sigh, he turned from the window. He spent his days waiting for night to fall, for his siblings to sleep and the desert to cool itself. Then he could walk, unhindered, and lose himself in the cold dryness of night.

At just the thought, the memory, of escape, his lungs tightened and the air grew dense. He wanted to be free, he wanted to be normal, he wanted --

It was hard to breathe.

His pulse pounded in his head, sudden and loud, and his legs collapsed, spilling him onto the bed. His head began to throb, rhythmic and unrelenting.

 _Shit._  Gaara managed to roll over, sweat dripping onto the blankets. "Temari," he rasped. He doubted she could hear. "Kankuro!"

Nothing. Gaara managed to sit up, eyes rolling back in his head, and topple noisily to the ground.

"Gaara?" Temari called.

"What did you do?" Kankuro asked derisively from the next room, his bed creaking as he came to see. "Fall over?"

Gaara heard footsteps approaching and swore. They was supposed to get out, not come closer!

"Gaara!" Temari's voice. Sudden light stabbed his eyes as she rolled him over. "What is it -- Shukaku?"

Kankuro appeared behind her, eyes wide. "Shit," he snapped, and hauled Temari to her feet. "Let's go, hurry up! If it's that fucking demon --"

Temari let Kankuro tug her away, glancing back frequently. "But Gaara -- !"

"He told us to go!"

Their voices faded. Relieved, Gaara relaxed against the floor and struggled to breath. The sandstone was dissolving, falling on him like warm, grainy rain. He spat out a mouthful and kept his eyes shut.  _Over, over, let it be over. . . ._

Shukaku was thrashing in the back of his mind, furious as it's chakara was siphoned off.  _Stop it,_  Gaara thought. His fingers slid into the sandstone like it was clay, his body bucking and twisting. He may have been screaming.  _Stop it stop it STOP IT! You'll kill us both, goddamn you!_

The demon wasn't listening. There was a pained, defiant shriek --

And everything went black.

~

Sasuke half-woke as the bed shifted, one hand sliding to the kunai he kept beneath his pillow. He recognized Naruto without opening his eyes and relaxed, his hand loosening.  _Just a little more sleep. . . ._

The rustle of clothing puzzled him at first, but he mused tiredly that Naruto might be getting a shower. They were both pretty messy . . . and Sasuke fully planned to get them messy again, all day long tomorrow. And maybe the day after that, too. . . .

The click of the front door woke him up completely.

He sat up, checking the bed, but it was no dream. He was alone, the street outside the window was empty, and there was no trace of Naruto in the flat.

Sasuke rolled out of bed and found his clothes, yanking them on as he collected weapons from the floor.  _The_  kyuubi _?_  he wondered. His heart was pounding and he was still half-asleep, staggering around on suddenly weak knees.  _I have to find him. Before something happens, I have to find him, I can't --_  

He rushed out the door.

~

Sakura half-smiled to herself, side-stepping a pile of laundry and paging through the folder that Sasuke had left the night before. He and Naruto had stopped by last night, Naruto bouncing off the walls excitedly and Sasuke scowling. After five minutes of their bickering, she threw them out and told them to go rip each other's clothes off.

It had been sweet of Sasuke to find the information for her, even if she'd already solved the case. A quick look-through had revealed it was mostly about a confiscated drug, called Kaiun, as investigated by Itachi Uchiha. She'd read the report out of morbid curiosity, and ended up relieved that he had, at least, stopped any further production of the stuff. It was horrifying. The fact that he'd closed the report two weeks before he murdered his family wasn't lost on her.

She sat the folder on her kitchen table and yawned, stretching luxuriously. She was much calmer now that Naruto and Sasuke were safe. With a little time, she would find the answers and they could all move on. No rush.

The coffee was almost done when she heard distant shouting. She went immediately to the window, ninja-trained ears straining --

"What the hell happened?" someone was yelling. Was that --  _Naruto?_  "What the hell? Kiba, are you all right! Answer me!"

 _Kiba?_  Sakura threw the window open, vaulting out of it and heading towards the voices. She found Naruto and Kiba on a nearby rooftop, Kiba in his ANBU gear, Naruto with bloodstained hands and horrified eyes. He looked up at her wildly. "Sakura -- Sakura-chan! Heal him -- heal him -- I don't -- I think I -- "

She fell to her knees, rolling Kiba onto his back and checking his pulse. Steady; good. He was bleeding from his shoulder, but the wound wasn't deep. Even she could heal something like this.

The stairs leading to the rooftop clattered suddenly. Sakura looked up, finishing the jutsu, and relaxed. "Akamaru --"

And then she screamed. Akamaru launched himself at Naruto, sent him flying backwards -- Naruto made no move to fight --

Sasuke appeared, throwing Akamaru to the side and shielding Naruto with his body. Sakura hurried to guard them, a kunai appearing in her hand, and Akamaru followed suit, planted firmly between her and Kiba. The fur along his back and shoulders stood on end as he growled.

Horror bubbled inside of her -- would she have to fight him? Kill him? It wasn't as if she could reason with him! He was a dog!

She tried anyway. "Akamaru, what's going on?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and soothing. He snarled and she flinched.

Behind her, Sasuke pinned Naruto to the roof and glared at him, barely resisting the urge to shake him like a doll. "What the hell happened?" he snapped, voice cracking. "Why did you leave? Where did you go?"

"I don't know!"

Akamaru prepared to attack again. "Akamaru," Sakura pleaded. She didn't want to hurt him, but she wasn't about to die, either. "C'mon, don't. Don't." The dog advanced, slowly and deliberately. “Akamaru -- !"

"Akamaru, heel!"

Akamaru turned and galloped to Kiba, barking joyfully. Kiba threw aside his ANBU mask and hugged him. "Good boy," Kiba said, laughing a bit hysterically and wiping sweat off his face. “That’s right, good boy, good boy. All right?” Akamaru began cleaning his face. "All right, all right! C'mon, now, good boy. Nothing to worry about, Sakura. Good boy, Akamaru.  _Whew._ "

Sakura's muscles unknotted slowly, in stages. "Kiba,  _what happened?_ "

Kiba stood, checking his arm. He was bloodstained, and he looked tired, but he wasn't angry and he wasn't injured. At least, not anymore. "I'm not sure. You all right, Naruto? I didn't hurt you?"

Sasuke helped Naruto stand, and wiped the blood off his hands with the corner of his shirt. Naruto just stared blankly.

"Yeah," Naruto finally mumbled. "I'm okay. Why're you asking me, I -- I did that, didn't I? I attacked you." His face screwed up into a scowl. "That's why Akamaru came after me, isn't it? Shit. I attacked you.  _Fuck._ "

"That wasn't you," Kiba said. His clever black eyes fixed first on Sasuke, then Sakura, and returned to Naruto. "I've fought you, Naruto. Remember? I know how you work, man. That  _definitely_  wasn't you."

Naruto shook his head and continued swearing. Sasuke had given up on cleaning his hands and simply watched with frustrated eyes.

"Your taijutsu was massively weak, and you barely showed any expression at all. The only thing the same was your strength." Kiba shook his head, patting Akamaru's side, either to soothe the dog or to soothe himself, it wasn't clear. "I was trying to disable you without hurting you when you got me --" he pointed to the rip in his armor "-- and I hit my head on the way down."

Akamaru whined. Kiba knelt to talk to him again.

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself. Naruto had been possessed, obviously. By the  _kyuubi?_  But that didn’t explain anything at all -- or did it? Ino’s possession, and Sasuke's, Nene's and Tamaki’s deaths . . . but how? And more importantly, why?

Naruto sank slowly back to the ground, hiding his head in his arms, and didn’t make a sound.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances, searching for something to say.  _Sorry, Naruto, it seems like your worst nightmare is coming true and the_  kyuubi  _is breaking free_ somehow seemed vastly inadequate.

Shikamaru’s abrupt arrival distracted them from a futile search. "I take it something happened," he said, eyeing Kiba's bloodstained armor. "Well?"

"Naruto attacked Kiba," Sakura explained. Her voice sounded strange to her ears, calm and quiet after her earlier shouting. "He was possessed by something, Kiba said."

Kiba nodded. Shikamaru turned to him. "That the truth, or are you just saying it?"

"Shikamaru," Sasuke growled.

"Shut up," Shikamaru ordered absently. "Kiba?"

"It's the truth," Kiba said, scowling. Akamaru barked several times, looking anxious. "He's agreeing with me," Kiba added.

"Thanks," Shikamaru said dryly. "I don't speak Dog." To Sasuke's glare, he added, "Knock it off, Uchiha. Kiba had orders from me -- unofficial, mind you, so don't write this up at MP anywhere -- to keep an eye on Naruto and protect him. Even if it meant lying."

Naruto lifted his head and stared. "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. Unlike Kiba, he was dressed in street clothes, as normal as if he'd been out for a stroll. At eight'o'clock in the morning. Sakura hadn't even known that Shikamaru could wake up that early.

"It's obvious that you were being framed," Shikamaru said. "So I started thinking -- what would the next step be? Forcing you to attack someone, of course. All the clues would lead to you, you would be imprisoned or killed, and the real killer could use the time to escape. Maybe they would even use you to 'kill' them. So, I -- our squad, or I should say,  _your_  squad -- decided to keep an eye on you. Just in case."

Naruto was stunned, leaning back and blinking hard. Akamaru crept over, belly to the ground, and Naruto rubbed his floppy ear with an unstained wrist.

"You can pet him, Naruto," Kiba said, amused. "Akamaru won't mind. He's used to my blood."

"It's not just blood," Naruto said. His eyes were like round, hollow pits in the darkness, stark in his pale face. "It's the blood of my friend, who was protecting me even though I was trying to kill him. That's what it is. It's not just blood."

Kiba sighed.

It started to rain. "Great," Shikamaru grouched.

Sakura stared at him, her mind racing. Her strength was in detective work, not strategy, but his insight was helpful nonetheless. If the killer was going to use this time to escape, then they didn’t have as much time as she’d thought. This was no serial killer, this was someone with a goal.

"Stand up," Sasuke ordered suddenly, grabbing Naruto's elbow and hauling him to his feet. "What do you think you're doing, saying things like that? ‘The blood of my friend.’ Get a grip, you fucking moron." Hidden from the others by his body, Sakura saw him rubbing circles onto Naruto’s arm, a compromise between his dignity and his distress. "We need to find out what's going on, not sit around feeling sorry for you."

Naruto nodded slowly.

"We also need to be watchful," Sakura said. Everyone turned to her. "If this killing was prevented, it's likely that another will happen in it's place." She turned to Shikamaru. "Any recommendations?"

Shikamaru frowned thoughtfully. "Naruto needs to be under ANBU guard, for his protection and everyone else's," he decided. Naruto winced. "And we'll need ninja to patrol the city, make sure no one's acting suspicious."

"I'll get some of my people on that," Sasuke said, letting go of Naruto with an apologetic glance. Shikamaru looked surprised. "It's our job, after all. ANBU's taken it over, but we can still do it."

Naruto grinned a little. "You're just trying to show off, you jerk."

"Am not. Idiot."

"Good," Sakura said, distracted. "If that's settled? I need to get back to my investigation." Although where she was going to start, she had no idea. More research?

"Might as well go home," Shikamaru said to Naruto. "That way you can be jailed in comfort."

"Hey! That's not funny." Naruto thought it over. "Actually, as long as Ibiki's not there, I'll be happy almost anywhere." He looked guiltily at Sakura. "No offense, Sakura-chan."

She waved it off and hurried away, still thinking. Sasuke watched her go, and then turned to Naruto. He lowered his voice so Shikamaru and Kiba couldn't hear. "Are you all right?"

Naruto's smile seemed forced. "Yeah," he said, equally soft. "Are you? Sorry."

"I'm fine," Sasuke snapped, annoyed with the apology. He hesitated, and then settled his hand on the curve of Naruto's elbow. "Do you remember anything at all?"

"I remember falling asleep." Naruto smiled a little more honestly, and Sasuke smirked. "But that's it. And then Kiba --"

Akamaru whined at the sound of his master's name. Sasuke shot the dog a nasty look and it hid behind Kiba's shins. Sasuke wasn't willing to forgive the mutt so quickly for attacking Naruto. Even if it had been deserved. A little.

"I, I'm fine, really." But Naruto looked much paler than he had just a few seconds ago, and Sasuke realized he was shaking. Badly.

"You --" Sasuke held him up, not caring what the others saw. Shikamaru, who'd been inspecting the street below, turned to watch. "Are you -- you're in shock." Naruto sank against him. "You should --"

Naruto slumped, his eyes closing. Sasuke swore.

"Another fainting spell," Shikamaru said, coming over. Kiba trailed behind warily. "We should get him to the hospital." And then, without waiting for permission, he lifted Naruto from Sasuke's arms.

Sasuke could have killed him for that, he really could have. "I'll take him," he snapped, moving to take Naruto back, but Shikamaru stopped him with a glance.

"You're supposed to be gathering the MP," Shikamaru reminded him. Sasuke paused, icy realization warring with hot fury. "Get out of here. Naruto's my commander, I can look after him."

"Bastard," Sasuke hissed, but he was right. With one last, deadly glare, he left.

Kiba and Akamaru hovered nervously. "He all right?"

With a tired sigh, Shikamaru threw Naruto over his shoulder. "Who knows?" he wondered philosophically. "To the hospital. Let's hope Godaime-sama comes back soon. She's gonna skin us for sure."

~

Sasuke found most of the MP force already assembled. There were twenty individual members, ten teams total -- a fraction of what it was, but still working in much the same way. Each team was made up of two members, usually old friends or teammates. One was an expert in taijutsu, the other in ninjutsu. It was difficult to excel in such specific areas without a  _sharingan_ , but they managed.

"Commander!" Benkei stepped out of the small crowd and silenced it with a single gesture. "What orders do you have for us?"

Sasuke took a deep breath, looking the group over. A few of the members were young, but most were jounin rank, with the exception of a single genin. He looked like Benkei. Sasuke guessed he was the man's son.

"We need to patrol the village," Sasuke said. Other than the genin, everyone in the room was older than him. He spoke carefully. "Naruto Uzumaki just attacked an ANBU member, Kiba Inuzaka, while clearly being possessed. Keep your eyes open. If you need backup, call in ANBU." Immediately, all expressions turned distasteful. "So far, the other possessed ninjas have been high-rank, and you'll need strength to overpower them without killing them."

"Uzumaki attacked an ANBU?" a woman asked. "Why would someone make him do that?"

"Who knows?" Sasuke asked, with what passed for him as dry humor. The woman blushed, apparently interpreting it as sarcasm. "It's a good thing it was Inuzaka -- almost anyone else would be dead."

He turned to a map he'd noticed the night before and spread it over Benkei's desk, quickly distributing all of the teams to different areas of the village. He was fairly certain that he was assigning most teams to areas they were familiar with, but he'd need to look over their files again to be sure. Benkei watched him with a pleased expression.

The teams left as he gave them orders, until the only one left was the one with the genin. The adults, a woman and a man, looked like siblings, and the woman wore the insignia of a medic-nin. The boy looked to be about thirteen.

Sasuke perched on the edge of the desk and looked down at him. "What's your name, kid?"

"Benjiro Erizawa," the boy said promptly. He had his father's calm aura and dark looks, but he was still young and awkward. He looked small in his long-sleeved shirt, the family logo just above his heart. Benjiro added, "You won't give us a bad mission because of me, will you?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Why would I do that?" he asked, twisting around to see the map. "There," he said, pointing. "Nene Okasawa was killed in that area, so keep your eyes open. Three should be better than two." He stood, replacing the map, and didn't even realize that he'd patted Benjiro's shoulder until he felt the tingle in his hand.

He jerked his head towards the door, trying not to blush. "Go on," he said.

They left, leaving him with Benkei and Hayato. He sat in an empty chair. "I need a desk," he muttered to himself, and made another note to get one.

"You can have mine, sir," Hayato volunteered quickly, and then paused to think that over.

"I'm sure you'll be using it," Sasuke said, drumming his fingers on his knee. He wanted to check on Naruto, but he had to make sure he was finished here. "Benkei, if there's a point where you disagree with my orders. . . ." Embarrassed, he glanced up at the tall, serious man. He hated to admit that he might be wrong. "Then correct me. You've got more experience."

"You've got the head and the blood for it," Benkei said quietly. He was half-smiling. "But I'll keep that in mind, Commander. Kakashi warned me you might say so."

Sasuke made a note to put something squishy and dead in Kakashi's bed. He'd know it meant 'thank you'.

"Right," he said. "Go ahead and start your patrol. You can reach me on my radio if you need to."

Benkei and Hayato bowed -- Hayato with enthusiasm -- and they left.

Sasuke sat back in his borrowed chair. He needed to know that Naruto was okay, needed it, but he took a minute to think. More than once, he'd been considered strong, or the strongest, but it had been hard find satisfaction in the praise. That strength had been for his family, for his brother. Tainted by hate. But this. . . .

For the first time, he was fulfilling his duty to the village, his  _family's_  duty to the village, not just skating around it while plotting revenge. For the first time, he was putting his strength to good use, he was doing what his mother and his father had always wanted of him.

His radio erupted into static, interrupting his train of thought. He pulled it out and said, "Uchiha here."

"It's me," Kakashi's voice said grimly. "I'm here with Shikaku Nara. There's been another murder, Sasuke."

"I'll be there," Sasuke promised, and then he was gone.

~

Hinata pressed her hands together and tried to summon calm. She hated watching Naruto when he was unconscious, even if she was a medic-nin and supposedly used to it. She'd rather be in the corridor with the others, guarding the door and staring at the walls.

It had been several hours since Naruto was brought in. The MP forces were deployed throughout the village under Sasuke's orders, which she found reassuring. He'd do everything he could to make sure Naruto was okay.

But then where was he? She'd assumed he would stop by ages ago.

Another hour passed before a nearby window opened, depositing Sasuke onto the tiled floor. He shook off a good deal of water and looked generally annoyed.

Hinata blinked at him, wondering why he hadn't used the door. "Sasuke-san, can I help you?"

Sasuke glanced at her briefly, then scanned the room suspiciously. "Where's Shikamaru?"

"In the hall," she answered promptly. "I'll get him."

She stuck her head out the door and beckoned Shikamaru in. He'd exchanged his normal clothing for his ANBU uniform, and pushed his mask aside when he spotted Sasuke. Hinata did the same, fiddling nervously with the ceramic owl's face. Bad news was in the air.

Sasuke looked at Shikamaru thoughtfully, trying to summon up some of the tact that Sakura had drilled into him. Eventually he forwent the effort and decided to just say it. "Get ready," he ordered. "You're not going to like this."

Shikamaru took a deep breath. "Just tell me."

"Ino's cousins," Sasuke said. "The triplets. Two of them -- Chiyeko and Echiko -- are dead. Asako is missing."

A quiet moment.

"I see," Shikamaru said quietly, staring at the floor. "Another Yamanaka has been killed."

Hinata watched him silently, sympathetically, waiting for him to speak again. The Naras and the Yamanakas were like family -- she imagined what it would be like if Neji died, and shuddered in quiet horror.

Shikamaru swore suddenly, quiet and vicious. "Where's Ino?" he demanded.

"At home. Sakura is with her," Sasuke said. He glanced down at Naruto and touched the back of his wrist carefully. "Chouji is being questioned by Ibiki, but he said he'd check on her when he's done."

Shikamaru turned and left the room.

Sasuke glanced at Hinata. "Where's he going?" he asked.

She shrugged and went to the door. Shikamaru had resumed his guard position, arms crossed broodingly over his chest, expression hidden by his mask. Hinata returned to Sasuke.

He was inspecting Naruto, clearly more concerned with him than anything else. "Shikamaru-san is just outside," Hinata informed him. "Is there anything else, Sasuke-san?"

"No," Sasuke said. He straightened, his hands sliding into his pockets, and added, "If he wakes up, radio me."

"I will."

He nodded, taking her at her word, and was gone.

~

"I can't believe it," Ino muttered, twisting the hem of her shirt anxiously. "I don't know why this is happening -- first Tamaki and then the triplets . . . why? I don't -- is it one of my enemies, or Dad's, or -- they wouldn't have any. They wouldn't have any enemies. They never --"

"Shhhh," Sakura ordered softly, slipping an arm around Ino's shoulders and tugging her close. Ino hid her face against Sakura's shoulder. "I know you're upset, but try to calm down," Sakura murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Ino's head and holding her carefully. "You don't need to make yourself sick."

Ino nodded slowly, face still hidden. Like a child.

They stayed like that for a while, Sakura's mind racing. She was no closer to understanding who was behind the killings that she had been yesterday. Her inspection of the crime scene, aided by some of Sasuke's MP, had turned up nothing. Unlike the previous murders, the killer's identity was completely indeterminable. That probably meant that it wasn't another mind-control victim. On the other hand, that could be what they were supposed to think. . . .

She couldn't escape the feeling that she was overlooking something. It had lingered even as she inspected Echiko's tiny body and the kitchen knife in her chest. She'd barely been twelve.

Ino released Sakura carefully, rubbing at her nose. Sakura patted her knee and went to the bathroom. Ino's mother always kept a box of tissues on the sink when they were girls, and sure enough, she still did.

She took half of them to Ino, and looked away as she blew her nose and stumbled to the trash bin. The air felt hot and close, pressing against her heart, which pounded. She didn't know what to do.

"I don't know what to do," Ino whispered, as if she'd read Sakura's mind, and she sank back onto her bed. Sakura held her hand as she stared at the ceiling, fighting back tears. "I was supposed to protect them. I told them I would."

Sakura said nothing.

"They always wanted to be shinobi," Ino said, smiling briefly. "They didn't have enough chakara strength -- twins and triplets usually don't, you know?" Sakura nodded. Chakara strength was developed in the womb, and multiple births usually resulted in low chakara levels as the energy became diffused and disfocused. Exceptions were rare, and usually the product of focused breeding. Like the Hyuugas. "But they tried so hard. Echiko --" Ino took a quick breath and swiped at her eyes, voice dropping an octave. "Echiko had a heart condition, and she couldn't keep up with Asako and Chiyeko."

At the sound of Asako's name, Ino wavered and almost broke down. They were hoping that she was still alive, but the odds were against them.

"But they had good taijutsu, Asako and Chiyeko." Ino tightened her grip on Sakura's hand, met her eyes briefly. "They met Lee, and they were really impressed. He wanted to train them. He told them they could be . . . oh, what was it. 'Beautiful mistresses of physical combat, golden warriors in the field of battle and love'." Her face fell. "Echiko was so jealous. Hokage-sama tried to fix her heart, but there wasn't enough time." She stared down at her knees. "There won't be enough time."

Sakura breathed slowly, wishing she could open a window. "You need to rest," she murmured. "I can help you sleep, if you need."

Ino shook her head silently. "Will you stay for a little while? I know you have to work to do --"

"I'll stay," Sakura promised, soft and immediate. "Ibiki-sensei is on the case for now."

Ino went to the bathroom to change. Sakura took a moment to stretch, relieving an ache in her back. When Ino returned, Sakura was looking out the window.

"Anything to see?" Ino asked. Her voice was raspy from earlier.

"No," Sakura said, watching her reflection frown as she let the curtain fall. "Just the rain."

She waited for Ino to crawl beneath the blankets and then turned off the light. A flash of lightning helped her find the bed.

It had been years since their last slumber party. They were both too big for it now, knees knocking beneath the blankets, elbows digging into ribs. Sakura wound up on her back, cheek pressed to the pillow as she looked over at Ino.

The light from the hall was dim, but even now Sakura could see her swollen eyes and red cheeks. Ino was pretty even when she cried but Sakura hated it anyway, with a startling ferocity that always took her off guard. Ino was someone she wanted to protect. That wasn't news, but. . . .

"Sakura-chan?" Ino said quietly.

Sakura smiled a little. "Yeah?" she asked. She laid her hand on the pillow and Ino gripped it tightly.

"I don't. . . ." Sakura watched her, waiting patiently. "I can't think of a way to thank you."

"You don't have to," Sakura said, smiling. Ino lifted her head slightly to see Sakura's expression -- Sakura turned onto her side to make it easier. "If I can help, I'm glad."

Ino nodded slowly, creeping closer under the blankets. "Sorry," she murmured. "For being so weepy."

"You don't have to apologize, either," Sakura added.

She could hear Ino sniffing again, trying not to cry, and hugged her close. Ino was soft and warm, smelling of salt and shampoo. Sakura took a moment to carefully work out the knots in her hair. "All right?" she murmured. Silky blond strands slipped through her fingers.

Ino shivered and nodded. She fell asleep quickly, as Sakura had guessed she would, breath warm and constant against her throat. She ought to leave. There was work to do.  _But just for a while,_  she thought, and leaned forward to smell Ino's hair.  _Just a little while longer._

Chouji arrived shortly. Sakura left Ino's bed with a heavy heart, wishing for nothing so much as the chance to continue her battle with Ino's grief, nightmares, and the monsters that hurt her. But she couldn't do it all at once.

She and Chouji went into the hall, Sakura blinking under the sudden onslaught of light. "Is she all right?" Chouji asked.

"I hope so," Sakura said, voice crackling. She cleared her throat and added, "Will you stay with her?"

"Of course."

Sasuke was waiting for her outside, leaning against a tree to avoid the rain. "You okay?" he asked, sharp black eyes boring into her. She nodded, pulling her wet hair out of her face.

"What about Naruto?" she asked.

"Still unconscious," Sasuke said. They fell into step, Sasuke leading. "We need to stop by MP headquarters -- I've had my medic-nin check out the crime scene. You might want to see his report."

"He's already got a report?" Sakura asked, interested in spite of herself.

"Yeah. It'll have to be verified by another medic-nin before it can go to the Hokage's office, or the Interrogators, but there's no need for you to wait. I'm sure it's accurate." Sasuke's expression was grim. "It doesn't really have any answers."

"Lovely," Sakura murmured.

~

When Bali received a note from Temari, a hastily scrawled,  _Please help,_  he knew it had to be bad. When he saw the home that Gaara had raised crumbling into the sand, strong gusts of wind carrying it away, his hands tightened.

He'd always had two theories about Gaara. The first was that he'd live to be an old man, his life prolonged obscenely by the demon, until his body collapsed and Shukaku was free. The other was that Gaara would die young, defeated in one way or another, simply because he didn't care enough to fight.

As he stared at the pile of sand, he thought he second theory had come true at last. Gaara was dying.

Bali found Kankuro and Temari a short distance away, having pulled Gaara from wreckage. It was night, and bitterly cold, but the villagers were justly terrified of Shukaku. At best, they would refuse to let him in the village. At worst, they would take the opportunity to kill him.

"His pulse is weak," Kankuro said, face hard. Karasu was pacing, an exact replicate of Kankuro, down to his cold eyes and pudgy body. The puppet seemed more worried than its master -- perhaps it wasn't as adept at hiding it's emotions. "His skin is cold," Kankuro added. He looked away.

"He stirred briefly, a while ago," Temari said, her alto voice a weary hum. She was kneeling beside Gaara, her hand on his wrist to monitor his pulse. "But he didn't wake fully. He said Naruto's name."

"I wonder if Naruto has something to do with this," Bali said calmly, mind spinning. He had never liked Naruto. He'd never liked any of the Leafnin, actually, but the brat had a special place in his heart.

"I doubt it," Temari said contemptuously. "He doesn't have the brains for something like this. Gaara is probably just worr -- dreaming."

Kankuro made a quiet noise of disgust. "Dreaming about what, I wonder?"

"Shut up, Kankuro," Temari ordered.

Bali lifted Gaara, determinedly unamused with Kankuro's rude humor. Gaara's lightness surprised and worried him.

"Kankuro, go ahead and create a distraction with Karasu," he ordered. "Temari, come with me. You'll have to knock out anyone who sees us."

The siblings exchanged quick glances, Kankuro thoughtful, Temari irritated. "All right," Kankuro said. "But if anyone comes after me, I'm sending them after you."

"Just make sure Gaara is out of sight first," Temari ordered, removing her fan and gripping it tightly. Her knuckles were white. "Let's go."

~

When Sakura and Sasuke reached MP headquarters, Benkei was waiting for them. He pulled them aside, ignoring the rain that dripped down on them, and held onto their shoulders gently. "There's something I need to tell you."

Sakura glanced quickly at Sasuke. His chest was suddenly heaving and she felt her heart begin to pound. "What is it, now?" he demanded. Her eyes closed.

Benkei was silent a moment, head bowed. "It's Naruto," he finally said. Sakura felt Sasuke go rigid beside her. "He's gone. Kidnapped," he added hastily, in response to whatever he saw in Sasuke's face. "Kidnapped. Just a few minutes ago. I thought, in person, rather than the radio. . . ."

His hand slipped from Sakura's shoulder. She opened her eyes.

"We'll go to the hospital," she started, but Sasuke was already gone.


	6. Chapter 6

He didn't want to go home.

It was too full with memories, now, and accusations like ghosts.  He hadn't known, he hadn't fought, he hadn't  _protected_  -- wasn't that what he was for?  Wasn't that his job?  Naganori was beginning to wonder.  If he couldn't protect his grandmother, how could he protect the village?

 _Useless, useless, useless. . . ._

And yet, as unworthy as he felt of them, the winding, hilly streets were the perfect place to hide.  There were places to explore, to lose himself, and to sleep, and all the people he met were strangers.  He no longer had family or friends to find him -- his teammates had become apprentices or chuunin months ago, and his last surviving family was dead.  Murdered.  While he sat upstairs and watched T.V.

 _Useless._

One of the Hyuugas, a guy with long hair like a girl's, had seen him and offered to let him come in and warm up.  "It's no good if you freeze," he'd called, turning from the targets he was practicing on.  "You're a fellow shinobi, after all."

Naganori knew him only as Naruto's friend.  He'd sneered and run away, not looking back, struggling against the odd heaviness in his chest.  He shouldn't feel guilty.  It was all Naruto's fault, anyway.

He'd seen Naruto once since his grandmother's death.  It was impossible to miss him, with that obnoxious blond hair and stupid orange outfit.  He'd been walking down the street, carrying some take-out ramen, and looking like he hadn't a care in the world.  Like the monster hadn't murdered an innocent woman --

Naganori remembered kicking a rock at him, but Naruto had side-stepped it without looking up.

 _Murderer,_  Naganori thought at him now, wondering where he was.  Probably safe and warm, with the fucking demon fox purring in his belly.   _You killed my grandmother._

Shivering, he pressed his forehead to his knees.  He wasn't going to cry.  He wasn't.  Even if it was all Naruto's fault -- that his grandmother was dead, that he was a failure, that he was alone -- but he wasn't going to cry.  It was just that, deep down inside, he really wanted to go  _home_ , and he  _couldn't_ , and so he was stuck out here in the rain and the cold for  _hours. . . ._   He was tired of being cold.

That was when he heard her.

"You're -- so -- heavy!"  There was a grunt, and footsteps.

Naganori drew away from the street, hiding in the shadows.  He knew trouble when he heard it

The speaker, hidden by the rain and a line of trees, kept talking.  "And your coat keeps -- getting -- caught on things!"

A pause, and then the girl sighed, kicking through the undergrowth towards her burden and unzipping something. Naganori heard her struggling and darted across the street, closer to the noise.  If he could see her face --

"There!  Now you won't get stuck."  Footsteps.  "Let's go."

He stayed hidden, blinking rainwater out of his eyes.  When she was gone, he moved cautiously towards the trees.  The rain was already washing away the footprints and drenching something that had been left behind -- with one hand on a nearby tree for balance, Naganori knelt.

It was a bright orange jacket.

He stood, already wondering what to do.

~

Sasuke threw open the door to the hospital room, startling the ANBU and sending them all for their weapons.  Only Shikamaru's quick instincts kept him from becoming a pincushion -- with lightning speed, he snatched the kunai and needles from the air, dropping them with a growl.

"Sasuke!" he snapped, turning to glare.  "What the hell do you think you're --"

Sasuke grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.  Choking, Shikamaru yanked at him uselessly, squeezing his eyes shut to avoid his  _sharingan_.  From far-off, he could hear shouting.

"What the hell do you think  _you're_  doing?" Sasuke asked coolly, as calmly as if they'd stopped to chat about the weather.  "What were you doing when he was being kidnapped, Shikamaru?  You're supposed to be a genius."

Shikamaru tried to fight, to free himself, but Sasuke was too quick -- he dodged the kicks and blocked the punches, all one-handed.   _Damn sharingan,_  Shikamaru thought, and landed a defiant kick on Sasuke's ribs.  Sasuke tightened his grip and he wheezed.

"Sasuke-san!" Hinata cried.  "Let him go, or we'll fight you!"

"Sasuke!"  Sakura had reached them at last, slamming open the door and prying Sasuke's hand from Shikamaru's throat.  He cracked his eyes open and looked at her hopefully.  "Stop it, Sasuke!"

"Commander!"  One of the MP.

Sasuke finally let go.

Slowly, Shikamaru sank to the ground, rubbing his throat and looking around resentfully.  He gestured for the ANBU to disarm and ignored their protests.  If Sasuke wanted him dead, he'd be dead, no matter how much they tried to stop him.  Damned over-powered bastard.

Sakura tugged Sasuke aside and wrapped him in a hug.  Her hands were shaking.  "Calm down," she murmured.  He pressed his cheek to her hair, his mouth a thin, twitching line.  "Calm down, Sasuke.  It's okay, it's okay, just calm down."

Sasuke's MP hovered behind her, an older man with dark hair.  He made sure no one would attack and helped Shikamaru to his feet, patting him on the shoulder.  "All right, Nara?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru grunted, touching his throat carefully.  One of the ANBU moved to guard him, just in case.

Sakura released Sasuke and he turned.  "Sorry," he muttered, jaw tightly clenched and shoulders high.  "Lost my temper."

"I noticed," Shikamaru drawled.  "Let's not do that again, all right?"  Rather than wait for an answer, he turned to Hinata.  "You were saying?"

She shook her head, trying to focus, and rubbed her irritated eyes.  "I was guarding Naruto, like I was supposed to," she said, glancing warily at Sasuke.  He watched her stonily.  "I heard something, so I set up a trap and got ready."

Benkei left Sasuke's side and went to the window.  It had been shattered.

"The window exploded and my trap went off, but it was deflected somehow.  The person --"  She shivered.  "I don't know who it was.  I couldn't see them.  They had too much chakara, it was like looking at the sun."  She frowned, dark brows furrowing.  "But they were short, I think.  That was all I could tell."

Sasuke fidgeted restlessly.  "What is it, Benkei?"

Benkei knelt, looking thoughtfully at the glass.  "It was shattered with chakara," he said, and pointed.  "I've seen it once before.  See, there and there -- the edges are melted.  We're not going to get a blood sample, I'm afraid."  He straightened.

" _What_  is going on here?" a loud voice demanded.

Everyone stiffened in shock, or in Shikamaru's case, horror.

"I leave for a week and you all go crazy -- where the hell is Naruto?"  They heard an aide's voice, meekly responding, and Tsunade snapped, "He's the head of my ANBU, you'd better believe I'm worried!  Ibiki said he was here instead of the Interrogation chambers.  And where are Sakura and Sasuke?  And Hinata?  But first, Naruto.  And then Shikamaru, because I'm going to wring his scrawny little neck."

"Damn it," Shikamaru muttered.  "Why do I always get the scary women?"

"He's been kidnapped, Godaime-sama," Hinata called.  Tsunade stalked through the doorway and glanced briefly around.  Her eyes fastened upon the empty bed.

"Kidnapped?" she repeated.

"It's true," Sasuke said grimly.

Tsunade went to Hinata and healed her eyes easily.  "I want to know what happened, and I want to know  _now_ ," she said, gesturing for Hinata to be silent when she would have answered.  "You're injured.  Genma, report."

Genma pulled off his mask and quickly summed up the events of the past few days -- Tamaki's murder and Sasuke's arrest, Naruto's arrest, Ino's possession and Nene's death, Naruto's attack on Kiba, Chiyeko's and Echiko's murders, and finally, Naruto's kidnapping.  Shizune appeared in the doorway as she finished, looking disturbed.

"Who's in charge of the case?" Tsunade asked.

"I am," Sakura said, and stepped forward.  "Sasuke's been helping," she added.

"Here," Tsunade said, thrusting a slip of paper at her.  "You might find this interesting.  What is it, Shizune?"

"It's one of the bodies," Shizune said, arms crossed over her chest.  She was still frowning.  "Hinata-san, if your eyes are better, would you be willing to take a look?"

Hinata stood.  "Shikamaru, contact the other teams and tell them to report to Commander Uchiha for orders.  Genma, work with Sasuke to look for Naruto."  She followed Shizune without waiting for a reply.

"Right," Shikamaru said, and vanished.

Genma turned to Sasuke.  "Orders, kid?"

"Get the ANBU near the northern and eastern exits, they're closest.  Someone contact Neji Hyuuga and involve him in the search."  Sasuke turned to his second-in-command, voice calm despite his earlier display of temper.  "Benkei, tell the MP to keep an eye out for the ANBU and help them patrol.  When you've done that, take this --" he threw him his radio "-- and answer any calls that come in.  I'll be out of contact."

Benkei bowed, clearly concerned, but possessed of greater sense than to argue.  "As you wish, Commander."  He left as Genma began barking out orders.

Tsunade watched Sasuke thoughtfully, and beckoned for him and and Sakura to follow her.  "Come with me."

They followed her down the hall, half-running past the startled nurses and medic-nin.  Sasuke let Sakura hold onto his elbow as she struggled to read and run at the same time.

The paper Tsunade had given her was full of unfamiliar handwriting, mostly numbers.  It took her a moment to realize they were dates.  "What are these, Godaime-sama?"

"They're from Gaara," she said.

"Gaara?"

"What does  _he_  want?" Sasuke asked hotly.

Tsunade smirked.  "Those dates are times that he, like Naruto, has collapsed without warning.  I got a letter from his sister on my way here -- he's unconscious right now, but Shukaku is too weak to materialize, let alone rampage."

"There are more than Naruto had," Sakura said thoughtfully, refolding the paper and stashing it.  Something about those dates yanked at her, summoned the feeling of overlooked information with a vengeance.  The dates.  The dates, and the similarities between Gaara and Naruto. . . .

"The seals that bind the demons to their hosts are different," Tsunade said briskly, leading them into the lower levels of the hospital.  "Shukaku's chakara has been disappearing over the past few weeks, so it steals Gaara's and he faints.  The  _kyuubi_  is different, though.  It's chakara is merged with Naruto's, so when it's weakened, Naruto is, too.  If it gets too low. . . ."

"Someone is stealing their chakara?" Sasuke asked, frowning.  "That's not possible."

There was a light in Sakura's eyes.  It was starting to come together.  "Of course.  It's the only logical answer -- if it was just one of them, it might be the demon breaking free, but both?  It's too much coincidence.  Someone must have found a way to tap a demon's chakara without the host's permission!"

They came upon Hinata alone in a corner of the morgue, two small, sheet-covered bodies in front of her.  Sakura sighed at the sight of them, a hard reminder of Ino and her distress.  Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What is it, Hinata?" Tsunade asked.

The Hyuuga girl turned to Sasuke.  His  _sharingan_  swirled.

"You see it, too?" she asked.

He cursed, brow furrowing.   _"Genjutsu."_

"What?" Sakura demanded shrilly, wild hope surging.  If the bodies were fake, then maybe --

Hinata pointed at Echiko's body.  "That's not Echiko," she said quietly, lips pressed together in either sadness or disgust.  "Echiko was the fraternal triplet, right?  Asako and Chiyeko were identical, with blond hair, and Echiko's hair was brown."  She shook her head sadly.  "Those girls under the sheets are blond.  It must be Asako."

Sakura stared.  There was something -- something -- she almost had it, just a little bit more --

"But why?" Tsunade asked, pulling on a pair of gloves and moving aside the sheet.  Everyone winced at the bloody gash in Echiko's -- Asako's -- chest.  "What purpose could that serve?"

Sakura was starting to have a horrible idea.  "I think. . . ." she started slowly.  Everyone looked at her.

She turned and grabbed a nearby clipboard.  There was a pen attached to it, which she used to scrawl two rough calenders.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, going to her side.  Tsunade and Hinata were a step behind him.

Quickly, Sakura drew a forward slash through some dates.  "These are the days that Gaara collapsed," she said, voice shaking in her excitement.  She marked another set of days with a backward slash.  "These are the dates that Naruto collapsed."  None of them overlapped.

"And these."  She paused and laughed unhappily.  "I should have realized it sooner.  Dammit,  _that's_  what was bothering me."

Hinata, Shizune, and Sasuke watched silently as she marked another series of days, these with circles.  Every circle had a slash through it.

"What are those?" Tsunade asked.

"Those," Sakura said, "are when either local criminals were killed, or Tamaki took the triplets on a business trip.  Or both."  She met Sasuke's eyes over the clipboard.  "My first case," she reminded him, but he'd already remembered.  "The one Ibiki gave me so I wouldn't get involved with your arrest.  All of the murders were committed by other criminals.  I just assumed that, since there was so much evidence -- chakara signatures, footprints, fingerprints, witnesses . . . I just assumed they were guilty, even though they said they were innocent.  They said they didn't remember. . . ."

"They were possessed," Sasuke said quietly.  "Like Ino and Naruto."  _Like me._

"No," Sakura corrected.  "'Possessed' is the wrong word.  If the  _kyuubi_  made Naruto do something, it would be possession, since the spirit of the possessor would actually inhabit his body.  But these killings, these weren't possession."  She tossed the clipboard aside and looked at the dead girls.  "These were  _shintenshin_."

Tsunade was shaking her head.  "That's impossible," Hinata said quietly.  "Ino-san retained no memories of her actions when Nene died, correct?"  Sakura nodded.  " _Shintenshin_ can't erase people's memories.  It would take too much --"

She stopped and touched her eyes, still stinging from earlier.  "It would take too much chakara," she finished.

Sakura turned to Sasuke.  "Do you remember the folder you gave me?" she asked.

"I remember," Sasuke said stiffly.  He was obviously thinking of Naruto, his eyes ticking towards the door restlessly.  "I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"There was information about an experimental drug that the MP had confiscated," she reminded him.  "Called the Kaiun.  Itachi stopped the investigation, but there was already a lot of information. . . ."

"Sakura," Tsunade interrupted.  Her eyes were like chips of cold amber, and Sakura could see that she'd already figured it out, carried these thoughts to their logical conclusion, but didn't want it to be true.  "Start from the beginning.  You're confusing me."

"And me," Hinata said softly.

"Fine," Sakura said, crossing her arms and looking at the dead girls.  "From the beginning.

"Itachi found out about the Kaiun.  The drug takes a bit of something -- hair, skin, or whatever -- from another person, and when prepared right, steals their chakara.  This was about two months before the clan was killed --" she glanced at Sasuke, but he was unmoved, listening intently "-- so he stopped the investigation, probably to keep the information for himself.  He went on to join Akatsuki."

Now she faced Sasuke fully.  "After your battle with Itachi," she started, and he cringed.  "After that battle, you were so weak.  You couldn't fight.  The other Akatsuki, they were going to kill you. . . ."

"Naruto," he recalled, eyes shadowed.  "He was -- furious."

"Furious enough to lose control of the  _kyuubi_ ," Sakura said, glancing away.  "He was almost entirely demon.  And wounded -- I remember how injured he was, and how much blood he lost.  I didn't."  She sighed and closed her eyes.  "I didn't think to clean it up.  There was probably enough left for someone to gather and use."

"The Kaiun," Tsunade said slowly.  "They put Naruto's blood into it so that they could use his chakara?"

"Not his blood," Sasuke said, mouth tugged into a grim line.  "The  _kyuubi's_  blood.  He'd begun to transform."

Hinata turned away, ashamed.  "That's why the  _kyuubi's_  chakara vanished that time, and not Naruto's.  It wasn't that the  _kyuubi_  was loose, it's chakara was just being stolen."

Sakura nodded.  "And the  _shintenshin_  was so overpowered that it wiped Sasuke's, Ino's, and Naruto's memories when they were being controlled."

"When Naruto attacked Kiba --" Sasuke started.

"-- the same people who made the drug with Naruto's blood made it with something of Gaara's," Sakura said.  "Probably his sand.  It would take a demon's strength to control another demon's host, but in the end, it still wasn't enough.  Naruto broke free when he saw Kiba injured."

"The drug traffickers that were killed?" Hinata murmured.

"They probably had the remainders of the Kaiun," Sakura explained.  "I'm sure there wasn't a lot of it."

"And the killer?" Tsunade asked.  She pulled the sheet over Asako and removed her gloves.  "I assume that's who kidnapped Naruto."

Sakura wasn't looking at any of them, gazing desolately at a nearby wall.   _They wanted to be shinobi,_  Ino had said.   _They tried so hard._

 _But they had good taijutsu, Asako and Chiyeko.  They met Lee, and they were impressed.  He wanted to train them.  He told them they could be . . . oh, what was it.  'Beautiful mistresses of physical combat, golden warriors in the field of battle and love'._

 _Echiko was jealous._

Echiko, with her heart condition.  If only she'd had more chakara, the weakness of her taijutsu could be overlooked, especially with her sisters to help her.  Just a little more chakara.

She could get it with the Kaiun.  Couldn't she?  She could keep up with her sisters, she could do what she'd always wanted.  She could be a shinobi.

Who, Sakura wondered, had begun whispering those promises into her ear?  They'd just been little girls.  And once she was addicted, there would have been little hope left.  And now that she was a killer, there was none.

"The murderer is Echiko Yamanaka," Sakura said, voice hollow.  How in the hell was she going to tell Ino?  "She's the one that killed Tamaki, and Nene, and her sisters.  Echiko did it."

She turned to Sasuke.  His eyes were glittering.  "We need to find her, now," she told him.  "Or she's going to escape with Naruto, assuming she doesn't kill him first."

~

"Benkei!"

"Here."

Sasuke took a moment to catch his breath, standing outside the hospital.  The radio was oddly loud against the noisy, pounding rain.  "Is there anything to report?"

"Nothing, commander."

"All right.  I'm changing the MP's orders, the ANBU will get a call from Hinata Hyuuga soon.  I want them to be on the lookout for a girl, twelve-years-old, with brown hair and blue eyes."

Hayato's voice asked, "As a hostage?"

" _With_  a hostage," Sasuke corrected.  "Tell the MP not to approach the girl, or give any sign that she's being followed -- if they spot her, they report it to me, and they don't let her out of their sight.  The ANBU will have the same orders.  Emphasize that this girl shouldn't be messed with."

"Yes, sir."

"She'll probably have Naruto Uzumaki with her," Sasuke added, voice cracking slightly.  He'd wondered once what would happen if he had to fight the  _kyuubi_  in order to protect Naruto.  This, he hoped, was the closest he'd come to finding out.  "He'll be unconscious.  Even if --"  He had to pause and steady his voice.  "Even if he's dying, don't let them approach.  They'll be killed."

"I understand, Sasuke."

"Good," Sasuke said wearily.  Sakura, waiting patiently at his side, took his hand in hers.  He let her.  "That's all, Benkei."

"He'll be all right," Sakura said as he switched off the radio.  "It's Naruto."

"I don't --"  Sasuke closed his eyes, steeling himself.  "This isn't . . . ."   _This isn't anything that I've prepared for -- losing Naruto?  This isn't something that I can be calm about, I can't think, I can't do this.  I can't.  I can't --_

"Sasuke."

Sasuke dropped Sakura's hand and turned towards the familiar voice.  "What are you doing here, Kakashi?"

"Hayato contacted me," Kakashi said.  Of course he'd be worried about Naruto, too.  Sasuke should have thought to radio him.  "Sasuke, if you're MP, you need a teammate."

"I know, I was going to --"  Sasuke paused, his frantic thoughts stilling.  "Did you just volunteer?"

Sakura smiled.  "You know, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke will be able to give you orders now."

"I know," Kakashi said.  He joined them under the hospital's awning, his hair dripping with rainwater.  "But I'm pretty sure there's a clause in my contract stating that I can't be ordered to run naked through the village, or read Come Come Paradise out loud, or bunk permanently with a dead frog.  Or anything else you might think up."

"It was Naruto's idea," Sasuke reminded him, calm at last.  "We'll patrol," he said to Kakashi.  "What about you, Sakura?"

She blinked at him for a moment.  "You're the Commander," she reminded him.  "You outrank me."  The  _of course, we both know who's_  really  _in charge_ , was left unspoken, smiles flickering over both their faces.

Sasuke thought a moment and decided, "Patrol with us."

"All right."

They worked out a brief plan and set off, Kakashi vanishing into thin air, Sasuke and Sakura traveling over the rooftops.

Echiko -- and Naruto -- were nowhere to be found.

~

Sasuke landed in a crouch, inspecting the footprints he'd spotted.  They were small, but too big to be Echiko's, and the print matched that of a boy's sandal.  Sighing, he prepared to set off again when a voice called, "Uchiha-san!"

He turned and straightened.  "Naganori?"

The boy was absolutely drenched, his teeth chattering, hand trembling around the kunai he gripped.  There were thin slices on his hands, like he'd been fiddling with it and had gotten careless.  "What are you doing out here?" Sasuke demanded.

"I saw her," Naganori said.

Sasuke's heart leapt.  "Who did you see?" he demanded.

"The girl, Echiko."  Naganori pointed to a nearby line of trees.  "I was hiding, and when some of the MP passed overhead, I heard you describe her.  She left his jacket."

Sasuke went to check.  Naganori was right.  Naruto's jacket lied in the mud, crumpled and wet.  Beneath it were footprints and drag marks.  The rain had worn away the rest, but these, having been covered, were fresh.  He knelt for a closer look.

"She was going that way," Naganori said, clambering over a pile of brambles  He didn't even notice the gashes opening up on his arms.  "That way."

Sasuke caught the boy when he would have slipped.  "Why didn't you report this?" he demanded, resisting the urge to shake him like a doll.  "I gave those orders twenty minutes ago!  That's more than enough time to find a radio."

"I --"  Naganori looked away, his wet hair fallen into his face.  "I -- I -- the  _kyuubi_  --"

He stopped at the look on Sasuke's face.  It may well have been carven from stone.  "The  _kyuubi_  didn't kill your grandmother, you little idiot," he snapped.

Naganori pulled free, slumping against a nearby tree and not looking over.  It was difficult to tell what his expression meant, and Sasuke didn't waste time trying.  There were more important things to worry about than some stupid kid.

He needed backup, but Sakura and Kakashi were far away.  Should he wait?  Go ahead?  He had experience fighting the demon fox, more than anyone else in the village, but it might not be enough.

And what would he do with Naganori?  He was tempted to let the brat freeze, and then felt oddly guilty at the thought.  Besides, Sakura and Naruto would never forgive him if he did.

The kid was still staring at the ground.  "Look at me," Sasuke ordered.

Naganori glanced up.  He looked frightened.

"I want you to understand something," Sasuke said.  "Naruto is a ninja of the village.  You don't like the  _kyuubi_?  You think you know better?  Fine, then.  You pick yourself up, and you go to Godaime-sama and you set her straight.  You little  _fool._ "  Hatred surged -- not entirely at Naganori, but at every person, every person who'd ever called Naruto a monster, who'd turned their backs on him, who'd  _dared_  to mistrust him --

 _No,_  he reminded him, hot shame blossoming in his belly.   _Because that would mean you, too, wouldn't it?_

 _You tried to kill him.  Maybe there's a little room for mistakes.  And Naganori's just a stupid kid._

Naganori yanked at his hand, trying to free himself.  "Stop it," Sasuke ordered -- he knew he wasn't hurting him-- and Naganori obeyed.  "You're not the first one to be an idiot.  Next time, Okasawa,  _remember_."  Naganori stared at him.  "And just hope you haven't gotten him killed."

Naganori was still young.  He nodded slowly, his cheeks red.

"It was her, wasn't it?" he whispered.  "That girl I heard.  She killed Grandma."

Sasuke nodded, reaching for his radio.  Naganori gave a quiet sniff and pushed the rainwater out of his face, looking like he might cry.  Embarrassed for him, Sasuke let him go.

"Kakashi, Sakura," he called.  He stared into the dark trees that hid Echiko from him, cursing the night and it's rain.  It would wash away her footprints and the shadows would hide her.  He'd need all the strength of his  _sharingan_  just to find her, let alone fight, and the delay put Naruto in danger.

"Here," Sakura's voice said promptly.

"Also here," Kakashi said.

"I've found her," Sasuke said.  The radio hissed and popped.  "With a little help.  Meet me by the Hyuuga compound, where the forest starts.  I'm only going to wait for a few minutes, and then I'm going."

"I'll get the ANBU," Kakashi said, and his radio clicked off.

"I'll be there," Sakura promised.  "Be careful, Sasuke."

"I will be."  He turned off the radio, re-pocketing it.  "Naganori."

"Yes, sir?"

"Over that way --" Sasuke pointed "-- is a large house.  I want you to go knock on the door and ask for Shino Aburame."  Naganori frowned suspiciously.  "He's a friend of mine, and if you tell him that you need to stay there so I can find you later, he'll let you in."

"I don't want to --"

"That's an order," Sasuke interrupted, voice stern.  Naganori straightened automatically.  "One of the Interrogators may show up to ask you what you saw.  Stay there until I come get you.  Got it?"  After all, there wasn't anyone else around to look after the kid.  He might as well.

"Yes, sir."

"Good.  Go."

Naganori ran off with a backwards glance.  Sasuke watched him, taking the time to ensure that he got safely to Shino's and was let in.  One less thing to worry about.

Not that he'd been worried.

Either way, he'd wasted enough time.  He grabbed a kunai and carved an arrow into a nearby tree trunk, pointing towards the path Echiko had taken.  Sakura would know how to find it, and when Kakashi returned with the ANBU, he would, too.

Sasuke vanished into the treetops.

~

"He's been unconscious way too long," Kankuro said pessimistically, perched on a nearby chair and glaring at his brother.  "He's probably dying."

"Knock it off," Temari ordered, still seated at Gaara's side.  He laid on his back, blood-red hair damp with sweat.  Sometimes his throat would flex, as if he fought invisible hands for air, and sometimes he tossed and turned, whining like a hurt animal.

"You're too soft-hearted," Kankuro said, turning his scowl on her.  "Acting like his nursemaid or something."

Temari ignored him, touching Gaara's throat carefully.  The life was fading from him fast, and if something didn't happen soon --

Dammit, she  _hated_  this!  What was she supposed to do?  Gaara had promised that Naruto would help, but she didn't trust Naruto.  Hell, she didn't even  _like_  the stupid little bastard.  She was just supposed to sit here, watching her brother die, and do nothing?

Gaara tensed and coughed without waking.  Blood spurted, bubbling and dribbling, down his chin.  Temari used her sleeve to wipe it away as Kankuro got a rag.

"He's dying," he said, and handed it over.  But for all that he supposedly didn't care, he couldn't look away.

"Knock it off," Temari growled again, and pressed the rag to the corner of Gaara's mouth.  She had enough skill as a healer to know that Gaara's body was shutting down, the organs faltering and stopping, despite his strong will to live.  Whoever was stealing power from Shukaku wanted to suck the demon dry.

And with every breath, more blood stained Gaara's lips.


	7. Chapter 7

"Kakashi-san!"  Hinata hurtled over the rooftops at his side, her ANBU team following like a string of deadly, masked ducklings.  "Where are you going?"

"ANBU headquarters," he said.  As she squeaked and stumbled, he added, "They haven't moved, right?  Still below the Hokage's office?"

"Y-yes, Kakashi-san, but it's supposed to be a secret. . . ."

"Good," he said, already bored.  His visible eye roved restlessly as he spoke.  "I need to look at some of the reports there."

"The reports?" she asked.   _The Top Secret classified ones?_  she didn't add.

"Need to find out which of you kids are strongest," he said, and came to a halt, dropping gracefully to the ground and triggering the hidden entrance without looking.  "Unless you know?"

"N-no, Naruto-san is the leader and Shikamaru is his second-in-command.  I'm just the head of his personal squad.  I don't even know everyone's names. . . ."

"That's what I thought."

Kakashi ignored the staring ANBU and went inside, ducking down a short, cramped passageway.  The records were just as he remembered, but in Naruto's untidy scrawl instead of Yondaime's.  It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.

He was acutely conscious of how little time he had.  This might be for nothing -- he might catch up to Sakura and Sasuke only to find out that the battle had already been won -- and then again, he might not.  If so, this team would be their last chance to get Naruto back.  Or their last chance to kill Echiko.

He shook himself hard and returned to his task.  Hinata waited outside the door, turning away curious onlookers.

~

The rain tapered into a light drizzle as Sakura found Naruto's jacket.  She was silent for a moment, touching it, and when she straightened Sasuke's arrow was right before her eyes.

She touched it, too.  Sasuke had driven his kunai deep into the wood, leaving the sap to drip sluggishly like blood from a wound.  Was he angry? Afraid?  She didn't know.

She hurried after him.

As she ran, she tried to think of a way to defeat Echiko.  The girl had power from two demons, jutsus she'd picked up from her family and friends, and Naruto as a hostage.  Even if Sakura and Sasuke managed to surprise her, a single blow would kill them.  And she didn't think they  _could_  surprise her -- chakara enhanced the senses, although the price was usually steep.

The rain picked up as she left the village, making it hard to find Sasuke's path markers.  Echiko was moving fast, too fast.  Did she know they were following?  Or was she just eager to escape?  After killing her sisters --

Sakura ended that thought.

The battle would have to be quick.  If Echiko was careless, if she drew too much chakara, Naruto would die.  Sakura didn't know what was happening to Gaara, but it probably wasn't pretty.  It would have to be very quick.

Desperation fueled her urgency, and it didn't take her much longer to find Sasuke.  He was hidden by a collapsed tree and some bushes, a small field sprawling wetly before him.  Sakura glimpsed a tiny figure within the sea of wind-lashed grass, unafraid of the arching lightning or crashing thunder.  It had to be Echiko.

Sakura landed silently beside Sasuke, resting her hand on his shoulder.   _Naruto?_  she mouthed.

He shook his head silently, grimly.   _She doesn't know we're here,_  he mouthed back.

It was Sakura's turn to shake her head.  She straightened, drawing a kunai, and left the cover of the trees.

"Echiko," she called.

Echiko turned, and Sakura's heart stopped.

She wasn't sure of what she'd been expecting -- nothing good, certainly -- but nothing like this.  Nothing ever like this.  Echiko's skin was flushed an ugly red, darker even than Lee's when he used the Lotus technique.  The veins in her neck, temples, and skinny arms were visible, throbbing and purple.  The whites of her eyes were crimson with blood, and the chakara vibrated beneath her skin, left it shifting and writhing like something was trying to escape.

Sakura had seen corpses lovelier than Echiko in that moment.  She thought she might be sick.

"What?" Echiko demanded.  Her voice was hoarse.  "Why are you following me, Sakura-san, Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke left his post and joined Sakura.  The thunder crashed loudly, a natural pause, and the wind blew hard.  Sakura shielded her eyes and blinked hard.

"You have our friend," she called, and pointed to Naruto sprawled carelessly at Echiko's feet.  "We just want to make sure he's all right."

"I need him," Echiko said calmly.  "I'll bring him back when I'm finished."

Sasuke's lips parted silently as his eyes narrowed.  He looked to Sakura for help, but she was paying him no mind.  Her eyes, colorless in the gloom, were riveted on Echiko's face; evaluating, measuring, and regretting.

"He may not be able to help you, Echiko-chan," Sakura called, as friendly as if they'd met at the market.  "If you keep using the  _kyuubi's_  chakara, he'll die.  Will you stop for at least a little while so he can recover?"

Echiko looked down at Naruto shrewdly.  Sasuke had assumed that Sakura was trying to distract her, create an opening, but even the simple action of looking down was blurrily fast.  Was he faster?

They'd probably find out.

"No," Echiko finally decided, looking up and stepping around Naruto.  She began approaching them slowly.  "You've come to stop me, haven't you?  Because I killed those people."

"Why is she going slow?" Sakura muttered.

"Too much speed will ruin her body," Sasuke muttered back.  Something he had experience with.

"You're just a little girl, Echiko-chan," Sakura called.  "No one's going to punish you.  Will you at least tell us why?"

Echiko paused again, closer to them than before.  Sasuke noticed that her eyes were glazed, expression distant.  Was she in pain?  Or just distracted?

"What do you mean,  _why?_ " Echiko snapped.

"Why did you kill those people?" Sasuke clarified.

Echiko looked thoughtful, the rain sizzling as it hit her skin.  "I had to," she finally said.  "I wanted to be a ninja, but there wasn't any way, until we found out about the Kaiun."

"We?" Sakura asked.

"Me, Asako, and Chiyeko," Echiko answered.  She barely blinked as she said their names, as if she hadn't killed them herself.   _She's insane,_  Sakura thought, but that was no surprise.  Chakara deteriorated the body, it stood to reason it could deteriorate the mind.  Especially in such quantities.  "There was a man," Echiko said, "I forgot his name, he lived in Isawa.  He's the one that showed it to us."

"He showed you the Kaiun," Sasuke said, shaking his head hard.  Echiko nodded.  "An  _adult?_   An adult gave it to you?"

"Niashi Komine," Sakura said, drudging the name from the depths of her memory.  "He was the first one you killed?"

"He had more, but he wouldn't let us have it," Echiko said reasonably.  "So I killed him, and I found out where the rest was, and we got that, too.  Tamaki-neechan was so busy with work that she never even noticed."

Sakura was grateful that Niashi Komine was already dead.  He'd doomed those girls, doomed their victims, by giving them that drug -- God, what had he been thinking?  They were children.  Had he been so desperate for a little money, or so naive, or --  _God._

"Why did you kill Tamaki?" Sasuke asked.

"It was part of our plan," Echiko said, moving towards them once again.  "We couldn't leave Konoha if she was alive, she would follow us.  And we didn't want anyone to be suspicious."

Sakura could find no words.  Such a simple, evil reason for murdering one's family --  Sasuke tugged her away, like he could shield her from Echiko's words with his body.  Of course, Sasuke had heard all of this before, hadn't he?

"We decided to frame Naruto and then make it look like he ran away when we took him, but it didn't work."  Echiko began trembling, and blood dripped from her nose.  "And then Asako and Chiyeko decided they didn't want to leave.  They said they were going to tell."

"And you didn't want that," Sakura said quietly.

"No," Echiko said, parting the last patch of grass and standing before of them at last.  Her head barely came up to Sakura's waist.  "I wanted to be free."

Sakura and Sasuke sprang apart, Sasuke a dark blur and a breeze, Sakura painfully slow.  Echiko darted after her, grabbed her ankle and  _slammed_  her into a nearby tree.

The clone vanished with a scream.  Echiko blinked and turned, dodging a rain of shuriken as the sky roared.  She glimpsed something in the trees and threw kunai instinctively.

Sasuke appeared in front of her, catching the kunai and disappearing again.  Echiko realized he wasn't disappearing, he was just moving, and she tried to catch him -- but another Sakura was in the air, using a jutsu, and another was in the trees, holding something in her arms.  She saw that Naruto was gone as the jutsu finished --

 _"Katon goukakyuu no jutsu!"_

Echiko and the surrounding ground exploded into flame.  Sasuke was briefly visible, the fire caught up in the breeze of his passing, and then he was gone again.

Sakura was unsurprised when Echiko stepped out of the flames unharmed, but made no move to attack again -- Sasuke was already there.  Echiko could beat his strength but not his speed.  Thank goodness.

With a pop, the clone that carried Naruto vanished.  It was one of Sasuke's clones, not hers, camouflaged with a simple genjutsu.  Sasuke was so quick that she'd learned to stand still during the first few seconds of a fight -- if he wanted her to move, he'd move her.

She picked Naruto up, feeling for his pulse and hopping a safe distance away.  He was alive, but weak.  They could run, she and Sasuke, until Kakashi and the ANBU arrived. . . .

But even as the thought occurred to her, she let it go.  Every minute that the fight continued brought Naruto closer to death.  They had to finish it.  Now.

She began a jutsu.

Echiko finally got one hand on Sasuke and held him still, punching him hard in the stomach.  The clone vanished immediately, shocked, and Echiko shrieked wordlessly with rage.

Hidden by the trees, Sakura completed her technique.   _"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"_

A large cat appeared in the shadows behind her, growling it's displeasure at being summoned.  When it saw Echiko, with whatever senses a summon used, it's growl changed to a questioning hiss.  Sakura didn't bother to explain, already preparing another jutsu.   _"Katon housenka no jutsu!"_

A short distance away, Sasuke followed her lead.   _"Katon housenka no jutsu!"_

Sakura left her hiding place, leaping through the trees and aiming her fireballs carefully.  Every time Echiko dodged one of hers, one of Sasuke's was waiting.  Heavy plumes of smoke made it hard to see and breathe, but they knew how to deal with it.  Echiko didn't.

She screamed when she saw the summoned cat and looked frantically for an escape.  Sakura's heart wrenched --  _she's just a little girl!_  -- but Sasuke was ruthless as always, darting forward and kicking Echiko in the back as she was distracted.  She staggered into the cat's range and screamed again as it's claws swiped her stomach.

Sakura shouted a warning to Sasuke, but it wasn't enough.  Echiko grabbed the cat's neck and ripped it's head off, turning to Sasuke as it fell.

He blocked her punch automatically and swore as his arm broke, even with chakara to strengthen the bone.  His  _sharingan_  could barely see where her punches were coming from -- too fast, too fast, not as strong as before, but she was faster than anything he'd ever fucking seen before --  _I have to get out of here and **now**  --_

Sakura started to prepare another jutsu, but there was no need.  Sasuke was gone and Echiko was on her knees, clutching her bloody stomach and vomiting.

Sasuke re-appeared, kneeling over Naruto.  Sakura left him to it and approached Echiko carefully, wary of a trap.  The girl threw up again, with a horrible croak that left Sakura flinching.

Even the thunder was silent.  The fight, she sensed, was over.

"It's your heart, isn't it?" Sakura asked, her chin trembling.  Echiko struggled to crawl away, to flee, but her arms wouldn't support her.  She collapsed, gagging and writhing against the mud and grass.

She was dying.  There was nothing that Sakura could do to help, even if she'd wanted to. And she did, in fact, want to. Her unwise, unflinching heart; she was amazed it was still intact, after all this time in the village. She blamed Naruto.

The sky growled as Sakura knelt, hands fluttering over Echiko's tormented body like butterflies.  "I'm sorry," Sakura whispered, but Echiko was little more than an animal, whining and clawing for escape.  She didn't understand.

Sakura laid her hand on the back of the girl's neck, sickened by the pulsing flesh, and severed her brain cord in one quick blow.  Echiko died instantly.

There was a quiet moment, broken only by the pop of the flames as they battled the rain, and the thump of Sakura's unforgiving heart.  Echiko was crumpled and still, glassy eyes peering into the distant trees.  The effects of the Kaiun worsened with death, transforming her skin to a mottled purple and sending a stink into the air.

Sakura walked carefully away.  Sasuke was within the barrier of the trees, cradling his arm and kneeling beside Naruto.   _Kakashi will find us soon,_  she thought blankly, and felt immeasurable relief.  The entire battle had been over in mere minutes.

"He won't wake up," Sasuke said dully.

She sat and took Naruto's hand in hers.  "I'll be a moment," she said quietly, and sent her chakara racing into Naruto's still form.

She wasn't a healer, but she'd always had a knack for the art.  Naruto was weak, drained, but there was still strength left.  He must have worked with the kyuubi, she thought, wearily impressed.  Of course the demon fox wouldn't want to die, either.

 ** _Very good,_**  the  _kyuubi_  said, growling as she inspected his remaining shreds of strength with her own.   ** _It would be insulting to die because of some greedy little bitch._**  

 _You shouldn't be disrespectful to the dead,_  Sakura retorted, her temper flaring.   _You'll be spending an eternity with them in hell, after all._

The  _kyuubi_  hissed, sending a flare of chakara to singe her mind, and she thwapped it on the nose like a naughty puppy.  She returned to herself, only a bit more tired for her exploration, and found Sasuke waiting anxiously.

"He's fine," she said, even as Naruto stirred.  "He just needs to recover."

"Yeah'm fine," Naruto mumbled, lips barely moving.  "Sasuke-bastard. . . ."

Sasuke leaned forward, touching Naruto's cheek carefully, like he thought he'd break.  "Open your eyes, idiot," he rasped, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.  Slowly, and with great effort, Naruto obeyed.  Sasuke pressed their foreheads together and whispered something.  Naruto grinned.

Looking away, she spotted movement and turned.  Kakashi had arrived at last, the ANBU and MP a step behind, and was staring at Echiko.  The ANBU were already radioing for a medic-team.

"Stay here," Sakura ordered the boys, although it didn't look like they'd be moving anytime soon.  She left their cover and waited for Kakashi to notice her, a safe distance from Echiko's body.  She wasn't going back over there.

Kakashi went to her and gripped her shoulder.  "What happened?" he demanded.  Both of his eyes were uncovered, and Sakura could feel his  _sharingan_  flaying her alive, searching her mind for secrets.  She shivered and avoided his gaze.

"Where's the commander?" one of the MP asked.

"He's with Naruto," she said, and wrapped her coat uselessly around herself.  Belatedly, she realized that she was sopping wet, that her lips were chapped from using  _housenka_ , and that she was shaking uncontrollably.  "I'll tell you when we get back to Konoha, sensei."

He nodded.  She turned away as he ordered the ANBU to seal off the area and guard the body.

"Come on," Sakura said to Hinata.  She trudged back to Sasuke and Naruto, her shins split to the knee and her thighs throbbing.  Hinata followed obediently.

Sasuke was sitting up when they found him, his hand resting against Naruto's unruly hair.  It was still too long, Sakura noticed.  She really needed to pester him into getting a haircut.

Strange, how normal thoughts returned so easily.  She ought to have learned that by now.

"He's unconscious again," Sasuke said unnecessarily.  Sakura nodded.

"I can heal your arm, Sasuke-san," Hinata volunteered.  Her hands glowed as she spoke, her eyes glittering with silver light.  Sasuke waved for her to go ahead, and watched Sakura as she leaned against a nearby tree.

"Are you all right?" he asked, wincing as Hinata began her work.

"No," she said, jaw clenched tightly.  Even the knowledge that Naruto would be all right helped very little now.  "What the hell am I going to tell Ino?"

~

Gaara's eyes cracked open slowly, watering as the harsh light hit them.  Someone was sitting right beside him, so close he could feel their warmth.  Only one person it could be, then.  "Temari?"

"Gaara!"  She leaned forward, wide blue eyes coming into view.  "You're all right!"

"He's not dead?" Kankuro asked, astonished.  Gaara glared at him half-heartedly and coughed.

Temari laughed, voice rusty.  "Apparently not," she rasped.  "Can you sit up?  Can you drink something?  Do you want to sleep?"

Gaara gave Shukaku a cursory poke.  The demon was snoring, far too weak to materialize.

"Sleep," he murmured, a rare treasure for him.  He fell into blackness with Temari holding his hand, bickering warmly with Kankuro, and felt a smile curling his lips.  Home.

~

When Ino woke up, Sakura was stretched out on the blankets beside her, pink hair curled and tangled from the rain.  She sat up, touched Sakura's hand carefully, and was startled when Sakura opened her eyes.

One look at her eyes let Ino know that it wasn't good.  "What?" she said, lips numb and cold.  "It's Asako, isn't it?  She's dead, too."

Sakura closed her eyes and said nothing.  Ino held her breath, heart pounding hard --  _"What?"_  she finally exploded.  Sakura jumped.  " _What?_   What aren't you telling me -- tell me --"

"All right," Sakura whispered.  "All right, just."  She pushed herself up and sat, her hands resting in her lap.  Ino reached out and gripped them tightly.  Sakura wondered if she would let go when she learned the truth. One of those hands had killed Echiko, and the other . . . well, she'd wanted to help. She just hadn't been strong enough.

She took a deep breath.  "You're not going to like this."

"She's dead," Ino guessed, eyes dull.  "That's it, isn't it?"

"No," Sakura said.  "I mean, yes, she's dead, but -- that's not what, that's not.  That's not what I don't want to tell you."

Ino's brow furrowed, but her voice was strong as she ordered, "Tell me, Sakura."

"All right," Sakura murmured, and did.

She prayed that Shikamaru or Chouji would stop by, but she knew they were reporting to the Hokage.  She'd only been excused due to exhaustion, but she'd drug herself here instead of home.  She'd thought it would be easier for Ino to hear it from her.  If it could ever be easy at all.

"And then she kidnapped Naruto," Sakura said hoarsely.  "Naganori -- a genin -- he saw her and told Sasuke . . . he and. . . ."  Ino uncovered her eyes, bloodshot and very blue in the dark room.  Sakura looked away.  "Sasuke and I, we're the ones . . . I'm the one that fought her."

She didn't give Ino the details, but she knew that Ino understood.  Neither of them said anything for a long time, Ino shaking silently and Sakura fighting to keep her eyes open.

Ino stood suddenly and left the room.

Sakura closed her eyes.   _So she's angry at me,_  she thought dreamily.  She almost didn't care if it meant she could sleep.  God, she was so tired. . . .

Ino reappeared and dropped a hairtie beside Sakura on the bed.  Blankly, Sakura stared at it as Ino clambered up behind her, gently drawing the brush through her tangled hair.

Sakura touched Ino's fingers as they combed through her bangs, pulling them back into a pony-tail.  "You're not mad at me?"

"Forehead-girl," Ino said, sniffling and voice wavering, "I am not mad at you.  I am  _never_  mad at you."

Sakura bowed her head as much as Ino would allow, and smiled.  Relief like a weight.   _Thank goodness._

Ino finished.  Sakura shivered as her fingers brushed the back of her neck.  "Sorry," Ino murmured.

"It's fine."  Sakura turned, noticing that Ino had rinsed away some of her tears.  "This is a stupid question, but . . . are you all right?"

"Yes," Ino said.  Her eyes were hollow, and she fiddled nervously with her brush.  "I didn't . . . I had no idea.  Those three --"  She scowled fiercely, fighting back tears.  "I didn't realize they were so.  So desperate."  She choked and wiped her cheeks.  "I wonder -- did they think I didn't care?  Did they think they couldn't tell me?  I'd have -- I'd have done any --"

She broke off and stared at the ceiling.  Sakura waited.

Ino looked back down and patted Sakura's head.  "Fly aways," she teased, voice strained.  "Stranded without leave-in conditioner."

"It's pretty bad, isn't it?" Sakura asked, smiling wanly.

"Your hair still hasn't recovered from that dye job."

"I don't think it's going to," Sakura said, patting down the frizzies alongside Ino.  It felt nice.  "Dumping a bottle of peroxide on your head while vaulting rooftops isn't the best way to go blond."

"You were in a hurry," Ino said, and suddenly wrapped Sakura up in a hug.  Sakura returned it, cheek pressed against Ino's shoulder.  She was startled when Ino kissed her forehead.  "Crazy Sakura," Ino said.  "You need to get some sleep."

Sakura yawned at the reminder.  "You too?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ino said.  They both got under the blankets, but this time Ino didn't put any distance between them.  She kept one arm around Sakura's waist, strong and warm.  Sakura curled as close as she dared.

~

Naganori waited in front of the sitting room window, his knees pulled up to his chest.  Shino had given him a late dinner, clean clothes, and ointment for his many cuts, only to retreat upstairs before Naganori could thank him.  He hadn't seen anyone else in the house, just the occasional bug, antenna waving in a friendly way.  He'd waved back.

What was happening now?  He'd done his duty to the village . . . maybe a little late, but he'd done it . . . and maybe Sasuke was out there dying, along with the woman that hugged him after his grandma died.  Sakura.  This had to be the worst feeling in the world, this helplessness.  He'd give anything to be out there fighting, too.

To think, he'd almost doubted becoming a ninja.  He couldn't imagine living the rest of his life this way, hidden safely away while the war was fought.  He'd go crazy.

Someone knocked on the door and Naganori nearly leapt out of his skin.  He picked himself up off the floor as Shino came down the stairs, looking at him curiously.

"Sasuke," Shino said, opening the door and stepping aside.  "Come in."

"Thanks," Sasuke said.  His arm was wrapped in bandages, he was dripping wet, and there was a tiredness to his face, a slowness to his motions, that hadn't been there earlier.  He looked over and saw Naganori.

"She's dead," he said without preamble.

Naganori looked away.  He didn't know what to say.

"I see," Shino said, unreadable behind his collar and glasses.  "Do you require a towel?"

"Don't bother."  Sasuke pushed back his hair and sighed.  "Naganori, come with me.  I'm taking you to the Hokage's office -- she'll explain things to you."

"Okay," Naganori said quietly, and joined Sasuke at the door.  Belatedly he remembered his manners, and turned quickly to Shino.  "Thank you for your hospitality, Aburame-san."

Shino bowed, and held the door open until they were outside.  With a last goodnight, it was shut, and they were alone with the rain, rustling noisily in the trees.

As they walked, Naganori asked, as casually as he could, "That guy, Naruto . . . he's okay?"

Sasuke glanced at him from the corner of his eye.  "He's at the hospital," he said.  "He'll be fine."

"You're not with him?" Naganori asked, startled.  "Everyone said -- I mean, I thought you guys were friends."

Another glance, this one rueful.  "Told you I'd come get you," Sasuke said simply, turning forward again.

Naganori nodded.   _Thank you_ , just didn't cut it, somehow, but there had to be some way to say . . . well.  How did you thank someone for killing so you didn't have to?

The walk to Tsunade's office was quiet, as the rain ended and the world grew still again.


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks later, Sasuke woke up with Naruto sprawled atop him, face pressed to his throat as he snored.  Without opening his eyes, Sasuke found a cool spot on the pillow and tugged Naruto closer.  Too early.

There was nothing for a little while.  Sasuke drifted in and out of sleep, struggling to remember his plans for the day.  He had to look over a few reports from headquarters . . . the Interrogators were dropping hints about the MP taking over some cases . . . he had to deal with Tsunade letting 'a representative from the Sand' into Konoha to continue peace talks. . . .

It wasn't like he was  _threatened_  by Gaara.  Naruto didn't know how he felt.  It was just damned annoying, that stupid guy with his big panda-eyes, following Naruto around and telling him how much they had in common.  Not to mention that when they fought, Gaara regularly handed him his ass.

Naruto tensed and jerked awake, bumping Sasuke's chin and sitting up quickly.  Sasuke opened his eyes, shifting his jaw slowly.   _Ow._   "Nightmare?"

Naruto nodded, panting.  "Uh . . . yeah . . . I, uh. . . ."  He laid back down, wrapping his arms so tightly around Sasuke that he squeaked.  "Just a nightmare," he murmured, and rubbed his cheek against Sasuke's collarbone.  "Stupid fox."

Sasuke returned the embrace automatically, eyes falling shut again.  He'd wake up soon, go to work, all that.  But for now . . . .

Naruto wriggled up the bed and pressed a light kiss to Sasuke's lips.  Smirking, Sasuke pushed Naruto's hair from his face and kissed his forehead.  Sakura would say that Naruto needed a haircut, but Sasuke liked it like this.  More excuses to touch.

For now, he would enjoy the warm, quiet moment while it lasted.  If experience was anything to judge by, it wouldn't stick around as long as it should.

~

"Sakura?"

Sakura looked away from her papers and smiled at her fellow Interrogator.  "What's up?"

The woman held up a thick folder with an apologetic grimace.  "Here's this," she offered.  "Ibiki said this is the stuff you were looking for, so. . . ."  She handed it over and Sakura paged through it absently.

"Thanks!" she called as the door swung shut.

A moment later, a shadow fell over her.  She looked up and found Ibiki eyeing her desk with a smirk.

"Laugh it up," Sakura grouched, turning her back pointedly and pulling a box into her lap.  "This is useful stuff."

He left his post by the door and sat across from her, the chair creaking slightly under his weight.  Sakura glanced at him nervously and busied herself.  What was in store?  A lecture?  She fumbled a folder and barely caught it.

Ibiki asked, "What did I do this time?"

"I don't --"  Carefully, Sakura put down the folder.  Ibiki was her sensei -- her former sensei -- he'd been good to her, trusted her and taught her.  She might as well just tell him.  "I don't . . . I didn't like the way, that.  That you handled Sasuke and Naruto.  Before."

She stared at her lap as he shifted.  He didn't say anything, so she continued.

"It seemed unfair.  It seemed like you were scapegoating them."

Ibiki shrugged.

Sakura's head flew up indignantly.  "Sensei!"

"What?"

"You can't -- you're not serious!"

"I didn't say anything," he pointed out.  She glared at him.  "Think, Sakura.  What's the most destructive force that Konoha will ever come up against?"

She opened her mouth to snap something hasty, but caught the look in his eye and stopped.  Quietly, she thought it over, and finally answered, "Panic."

"What do you think would have happened --"

"-- if there hadn't been a suspect," she finished tiredly.  She went back to her papers, less nervously than before.  "There would have been . . . worry.  Not panic."  She fixed him with a scowl.  "People weren't that worried.  It wasn't that drastic.  And blaming them the way you did -- people are going to remember that for ages!  Even though they weren't guilty, everyone will remember that they were accused."

"There's nothing I can do about that," Ibiki said.  "In times of danger, people want those they fear to be out of sight."

"So you --"  Sakura's breath caught.  Ibiki was trying to apologize; she sure as hell thought he was wrong, but it was Ibiki.  "Fine," she said quietly.

He left without saying anything else.  The discussion was over but nothing had been resolved, and they both knew it.  Sakura just wasn't like him.  She didn't operate the way he did, didn't think the way he did, and she didn't want to.

With a sigh, she pushed her papers aside and put her head in her hands.  Why couldn't things be  _simple_  for once?  She used to have all the answers, she was sure of it.  Maybe she should have written them down.

Someone came in and she didn't look up.  If it was Ibiki or one of the Interrogators, they would leave silently.  If it was someone else. . . .

An arm draped around her shoulders.  "Sakura-chan," Ino said.  "What's wrong?"

Sakura lifted her head.  "Ino," she said, surprised, and smiled up at her.  "What're you doing here?"

"Came to visit you.  Naruto told me how to get in."  She looked pointedly at the chair across Sakura's desk, overflowing with folders and papers.  She added wickedly, "Guess you never picked up the finer points of housekeeping, huh?"

Sakura laughed and stuck out her tongue.  "Very funny," she said, and scooted over in her chair.  "Here, sit down."

Ino squeezed in beside her, arm still around Sakura's neck.  "So, what's up?  This is all for the new stuff you're doing?"

"Yep."  Sakura hesitated, and then added cautiously, "You're still helping out?"

Ino's smile turned grim.  "Try and stop me.  Besides, if you're infiltrating criminal organizations, you need a good spy to help you out."  She winked.

"All right."  Sakura handed her a folder.  "This is a basic outline of the policy we have for investigating drug trafficking.  There's a section on chakara enhancement, although I'll have to write up a new policy after learning about the Kaiun.  Other than that. . . ."  She gestured to the papers crowding her office.  "All of these are old reports and investigations.  Orochimaru and Akatsuki really did a lot in the area, so they're outdated.  We've been too busy to open new cases for about a decade, but with the MP up and running, we should have more time."

Ino nodded, paging through the folder.  "How are Sasuke and Naruto?" she asked.

"Better."  Sakura smiled, a little sadly.  "It's taken Naruto a while to recover his strength, but. . . ."

For some reason, thinking of Sasuke and Naruto made her want to cry -- nothing in particular, nothing they'd done, but.  Sasuke had his MP, Naruto had his ANBU, and there were  _still_  people that leapt at the chance to punish them.  To fear them.  To imprison them when they were innocent.

"Sakura?"  Ino nudged her gently.  "Something's still wrong, isn't it?"

Sakura shrugged.  "It's been kind of crazy."  She shrugged, her fists clenched around two handfuls of her coat.  "Our village . . . it can be pretty harsh, can't it?"

Ino's hand rubbed her shoulder.  "I guess."

"It's nothing."  Sakura shook her head.

"It's unfair, sometimes," Ino said.  She flashed her usual smirky, defiant grin.  "But then it's up to us to take care of things, huh?"

Sakura nodded.  She could scream at the injustice, long and hard and loud -- for Sasuke and Naruto, for Echiko and her sisters -- but she forced herself to return Ino's grin.  "Always the kuniochi."

"You're telling me!  Speaking of, I talked to Shikamaru earlier, and you won't believe what he said. . . ."

Ino's chatter filled the room.  When someone dropped by later to leave some more reports, Sakura realized Ino was still sharing her chair.

She quickly forgot again.

~

Sasuke lifted a box over his head, shoving it on top of a tall filing cabinet.  He'd begun clearing out a large room formerly used for storage, having found a blanket-covered window in the back.  It used to be an office, and a spacious one at that.  His father's?  Maybe.

It was his now.

Another box started to slide off, dislodged by the newest arrival.  Before Sasuke could do more than scowl, someone caught it.

He turned.  Wide brown eyes blinked up at him owlishly.

"Naganori," Sasuke said, and removed his box.  "Set it over here."

Naganori obeyed, following Sasuke and dropping his burden on a desk that Benkei had found.  Sasuke took the opportunity to look Naganori over.  He was wearing the typical Aburame uniform, a baggy cream-colored coat over brown pants, which meant the rumors were true.  Shino had allowed Naganori to move in.

Sasuke was baffled as to how Naganori had pulled that one off.  The Aburames rarely admitted anyone into their home, let alone live there.  And Konoha was never very kind to it's orphans.  But it was Shino, and if the phrase about still waters and depth had been written with someone in mind. . . . 

Naganori seemed more nervous than usual, running his hands frequently over his carefully styled hair.  Sasuke perched on the edge of his desk, gesturing for Naganori to take the only chair.

He remained standing.  "Um, Uchiha-san, I was wondering. . . ."

Sasuke waited, but nothing else was forthcoming.  He crossed his arms over his chest and prompted, "Well?"

"I was, I was wondering. . . ."  Naganori bit his lip and glanced shiftily at the open door, but decided not to run.  "Areyoulookinngforastudent?"

Sasuke stared.  He must have heard that wrong.

"Shino-san said you might be," Naganori added weakly.  His face was very red.

Sasuke kept staring.  Shino was encouraging this madness?

"But if you're not, that's okay," Naganori added.  "I mean, really, I mean.  I'm sure I'll find another teacher.  I just, um, um, thought!, after everything that happened -- that being MP would be -- and the Interrogators, but they're really smart, and I'm not.  Not smart.  Really.  And I don't really know any other jounin or chunnin or anything, like, um.  Except my old sensei, but I don't think she liked me very much.  But it's hard to tell with Kurenai-sensei.  And, I, um."  He flinched and stopped.  "Aren't you going to say something?"

Sasuke was still staring.  "When am I supposed to get a word in?" he asked, buying himself some time.

"Oh."  Naganori went even redder, if that was possible.

Silence.  Sasuke wracked his brain, and finally came up with a somewhat appropriate response.  "What are your strengths?"

"My . . . strengths?"

It was like he'd never heard the word before.  "What are you good at?"

Naganori rubbed the back of his head nervously, and then smoothed his hair down immediately.  "Um, I'm good at sneaking around and stuff, I'm okay at genjutsu . . . I'm not really very good at taijutsu, I don't think.  I know a lot of ninjutsu, like, twenty."  There was a hint of pride in Naganori's voice that made Sasuke smirk -- he hid the expression immediately so Naganori wouldn't think he was being laughed at.  Even if he was. Naganori probably didn't realize Sasuke knew thousands of ninjutsu, most of which he'd even acquired without his sharingan.  "Mostly elemental stuff, fire and lightning.  And I know  _kage bunshin_."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.  "Naruto's jutsu?"

"Yeah, Konohamaru taught me. . . ."

"Hm."

Sasuke stood.  He'd spent three years training with Orochimaru, so he had a good idea of what  _not_  to do, at the least.  Kakashi would be there to help.  Someone had told him, a long time ago, that teaching a student was the best way to repay the village for it's kindness and protection.  Sasuke wasn't sure about that, but he had betrayed the village once.  He owed it.

He took a breath.  "All right," he said slowly.  "Do you want to know your first assignment?"

Naganori wavered, face lighting up.  "That means you -- yeah, yeah!  I want to know!"  He jumped to his feet.

"Help me organize those papers," Sasuke said, pointing to the two boxes that resided on his desk.  "We need to make them fit in one box.  That'll be your introduction to the average cases that the MP handles.  If you still want to hang around after that, I'll take a look at your techniques."

Naganori's face blossomed into a grin, shyness evaporating like mist.  "All right!" he said, and darted to Sasuke's desk.  "Where do we start?"

Half an hour later, as Sasuke organized and Naganori scanned the mission reports, Kakashi stuck his head in.  "Hello, Sasuke," he said mildly.  "Putting your new student to work?"

"How did you know he was my student?" Sasuke demanded, turning to frown.

"Sound carries in here," Kakashi said, gesturing.  "I went and told everyone we know, including Kiba, Neji, and Lee.  You hate them, don't you?  And there's going to be a festival of song and dance in your honor, oh . . . two hours from now?  Hope you don't mind."

Sasuke's frown intensified into a glare.

To Naganori, peeping over the paper stacks with round eyes, Kakashi added, "Don't take him seriously.  I never have."

"You'd better start," Sasuke growled.  "And stop talking to my student.  You'll give him bad ideas."

"I think that, after everything, it's only proper that I do."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and caught Naganori trying not to grin.  A quick frown sent the boy scurrying behind his papers.  "I keep telling you, the frog was Naruto's idea."

"Hmmm."  Kakashi waved jauntily.  "Well, see you later.  Don't want to hang around and get roped into doing work."  Sasuke started to call after him, force him to carry boxes or something, but Kakashi was already gone.  The papers shifted and almost fell as the breeze from his departure swept through.

"Lazy bastard," Sasuke muttered, catching them and setting them to rights.

"He's your partner?" Naganori asked.

"And former sensei," Sasuke said, fixing him with a stern look.  "Don't get any ideas from him."

"Of course not."

Naganori disappeared behind a mission report with a smirk.  Sasuke sighed --  _I wonder what Naruto will say when I tell him?_  -- and went back to work.

~

"Ramen!  Let's get ramen!"

"No."

"Awwwww, come on, it's good!"

"No."

"I'll treat!"

"Naruto," Sakura said patiently, drowning out another of Sasuke's stubborn, 'No's, "it's not that it's  _expensive_ , we just get tired of it after a while. . . ."

Naruto's face twisted up in a frown as he encountered something that just Did Not Compute.  "Get tired of ramen?" he asked, tilting his head.  "How does that happen?  Are you sure you're eating it right?"

"Yes, idiot," Sasuke said, sighing.  "We're eating it right.  Just buy some ramen and take it home for later."

"Really?  You won't throw it out when I'm not looking?"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and Naruto drug him towards the ramen stand, chattering enthusiastically.  Sakura smiled, watching them, and turned at the sound of a familiar voice.

"-- and if it was up to you, you'd wear the same clothes every day --"

"I'd  _wash_  them," Shikamaru pointed out, as if that was the most that could be expected of anyone, let alone someone with his busy schedule.  Which, as far as Sakura knew, consisted of sitting around and waiting for Naruto to call him.

"Ugh, Shikamaru!  Chouji, you think that's gross, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Chouji said dubiously.

"Traitor," Shikamaru muttered.

The three of them came into view, Ino dragging Shikamaru, Chouji munching on something and trailing behind.  When Ino spotted Sakura, her face lit up and she let go of Shikamaru and hurried over.  "Sakura-chan!  What are you doing out here?"

"With Sasuke and Naruto," she said, shielding her eyes and looking around for them.  They weren't at the ramen stand anymore.  "Well, they were here a minute ago. . . ."

"Probably went somewhere to make out," Shikamaru said glumly, slouching and sighing.  There were several bags slung over his shoulders.  "Are you finished with me yet, Ino?"

"Not yet," she said, fixing him with a stern,  _stay, good dog!_  look.  The minute she turned her back, Shikamaru disappeared, reappearing a short distance away on a rooftop.  Chouji wandered off, amused.

Ino didn't notice, and fell into step beside Sakura.  "So, what's up?"

"Just getting something to eat."  Sakura tilted her head, peering at Ino curiously.  "I guess you decided to take Shikamaru clothes shopping?"

"He was starting to smell.  I was concerned."  Ino put her hands on her hips as Sakura laughed.  "So, is there word on our mission?"

"Not yet, but I think it'll be approved."  Sakura glanced around to make sure that no one was listening.  "We'll probably head out to Isawa tomorrow.  Ibiki's kind of reluctant about letting you come along, since you're not an Interrogator, but I trust you."

Ino grinned at her.  "Oh, so you've finally admitted I'm better, forehead-girl?"

"Don't count on it, pig-chan."  Sakura elbowed Ino, her hands clasped behind her back, and they both laughed.  As they rounded a corner, Sakura spotted Sasuke and Naruto at last, hidden from sight in a short alleyway.  She rolled her eyes, blushing.   _I really need a boyfriend,_  she thought, and snuck a glance at Ino.   _Or something._

"Tomorrow, huh?  That's kind of short notice," Ino said, and surprised Sakura by linking their arms together.  "No rest for the best, huh?"

"Oh, I don't know, I get rest sometimes. . . ."

Ino threw her head back in a laugh.  Sakura watched her, the fall of her long hair, the slick gleam of her mouth.  Sasuke and Naruto re-joined the flowing crowd a short distance away, Naruto standing on tip-toe to catch her eye.  "Sakura-chan!" he called, waving.  "Are you coming or not?  Are you coming too, Ino?  I'm hungry!"

"We're hurrying!" Sakura said.

"Maybe Shikamaru and Chouji . . . hey, where'd they go?"

Sakura started giggling and darted ahead before Ino could start yelling, reaching back to catch Ino's hand in hers. Sasuke gave her a wry look as they finally caught up and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Revolting," he muttered, too low for anyone else to hear.

"Did that occur to you before or after you sucked face with Naruto in an alleyway?" she asked slyly.

He blushed and glared at her, muttering something about he had a student now and she had to stop saying things like that.  Sakura was still laughing at him a few minutes later, as Ino spotted Chouji hiding in a nearby restaurant, Shikamaru's head on the table as he napped.  They woke Shikamaru as they sat down to eat, and between his grumbling, Naruto's and Sasuke's bickering, Chouji's serious discussion with the waiter, and Ino's shoulder pressed up against hers, Sakura found that she couldn't stop smiling.


End file.
